Of  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  AHGBLK 


a 


STILLM  AN 
GOTT 


STILLM  AN 
GOTT 

FARMER   AND   FISHERMAN 


B  Y 

EDWIN     DAY     SIBLEY 


BOSTON 

JOHN   S.  BROOKS  &  COMPANY 
\  902 


COPYRIGHT,    J902, 

BY 
EDWIN   DAY  SIBLEY. 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED. 


TO   MY   MOTHER 


2132777 


^Preface 


'The  story  was  'written  for  the  purpose  of  por 
traying  the  type  of  American  citizen  that  can  be 
met,  seen,  and  known  on  the  coast  of  Maine  in 
any  town  from  Kittery  to  Eastport,  but  particularly 
referring  to  the  half  farmer,  half  fisherman,  who 
lives  in  the  towns  along  the  shores  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Mt.  ^Desert. 

The  'writer  has  sailed,  fished,  and  hunted  'with 
them  for  many  years,  and  each  season  finds  him 
only  respecting  them  the  more.  They  are  indus 
trious,  law-abiding,  and  patriotic,  the  three  things 
cwhich  go  to  make  the  best  citizen  of  the  best  coun 
try  on  God's  green  footstool. 

If  the  picture  is  a  poor  one,  blame  the  artist,  not 
the  subject.  The  brush  and  paints  are  poor,  the 
artist  has  only  the  slightest  idea  of  light  and 
shadow;  but  the  rugged  beauty  of  the  subject 
exists,  even  though  the  story  may  fail  to  show  it  to 
you. 

If  after  you  have  read  this  book  you  realize  that 
you  have  looked  as  through  a  glass  darkly,  go  and 
see  for  yourself,  face  to  face,  and  you  will  admit 
that  at  least  the  picture  is  not  overdrawn. 

May  you  enjoy  reading  the  book  as  much  as  the 
'writer  has  enjoyed  'writing  it  and  seeing  it  grow 
from  day  to  day. 


STILLM  AN 
GOTT 


STILLMAN 
GOTT 

CHAPTER 
ONE 

IT  was  a  warm  day  in  the  early  part  of  June, 
that  beautiful  time  of  the  year  before  the 
heat  of  the  summer  had  seared  the  vegeta 
tion  to  a  dry  brown  and  the  grasshopper  had  be 
gun  to  be  a  burden;  all  nature  was  fully  awake 
after  the  quiet,  restful  sleep  of  w*inter.  The  long 
slope  extending  from  the  road  down  to  the  shore 
of  the  bay  was  clothed  in  the  bright,  vivid  green 
of  the  new  grass,  with  patches  of  dark  brown  scat 
tered  here  and  there  where  -the  land  had  been 
ploughed  and  sown. 

Across  the  deep  water  of  Dark  Mountain  bay 
rose  the  steep  sides  of  Sheep  island,  with  the 
gray  granite  ledges  looking  out  from  among  the 
dark  green  spruces,  and  here  and  there  a  pine 
standing  lone  and  tall  like  a  giant  among  pig- 

15 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

mies,  and  away  to  the  south  one  could  see  the 
lighthouse  of  Mussel  Bay  Point,  white  as  a 
sheeted  ghost  against  the  bright  blue  of  the  sky 
beyond. 

Allan  Carter  had  just  walked  out  from  his 
house  and  seated  himself  on  the  front  porch 
after  his  dinner.  Having  lighted  his  pipe  he  was 
taking  a  short  rest  before  resuming  the  endless 
toil  of  a  farmer's  life,  and,  with  his  chair  tipped 
back  against  the  side  of  the  house,  was  enjoying 
the  solace  that  tobacco  brings  to  a  tired  man, 
when  the  rattle  of  wheels  caused  him  to  look  up 
the  road.  An  old  bay  mare  was  coming  toward 
him,  dragging  behind  her  a  worn  out  open  buggy 
in  which  was  seated  a  man  of  about  fifty-five 
years  of  age,  tall  and  thin,  with  a  shock  of  red 
hair  showing  from  under  an  old  straw  hat.  The 
farmer  pulled  himself  up  out  of  his  chair  and 
walked  slowly  down  across  the  grass  to  the  road. 

"Hello,  Still,"  he  said.    "How  are  you  ?" 

"Tolerable,  Allan,  tolerable.  How  are  yer? 
What's  ther  news?" 

•"Haven't  heard  any,  Still.  What  do  you  hear  ? 
Anything  going  on?" 

"No;  hain't  heard  nothin'  nor  seen  nothin' 

16 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

since  Uncle  Daniel  hed  his  fit  at  last  town 
meetin'.  That's  ther  last  thing  I've  seen  er 
heard  about  that  was  interesting  an'  when  you 
come  to  think  uv  it,  them  fits  are  so  common  with 
Uncle  Daniel  that  I've  sort  uv  lost  interest  in 
'em.  Folks  mostly  lets  him  kick  'em  out.  Ain't 
nothin'  ter  do  fer  him.  Guess  folks  is  too  busy 
just  now  ter  make  any  'citement,  an'  so  Satan  is 
out  uv  work." 

"Any  summer  boarders  arrived  yet?" 
"No,  not  ez  I've  seen  er  heard  uv.  Mebbe 
some,  howsomever,  up  ter  ther  village.  Ter  tell 
ther  truth,  I  hain't  been  up  there  for  mor'n  two 
weeks.  Goin's  kinder  poor  an'  my  hoss  hez  been 
workin'  hard  lately,  an'  so  I  cal'lated  I'd  stick 
pooty  close  ter  home  an'  wait  er  while  before  I 
took  my  walks  abroad  er  drove  'round  any. 
'Spectin'  any  yerself  ?" 

"Don't  know  as  I  am,  don't  know  as  I  ain't. 
That  boy  that  was  down  here  last  summer  from 
the  westward  may  come  again.  Glad  to  have  him 
if  he  wants  to  come,  but  I  ain't  wasting  any  time 
watching  for  the  stage.  Little  early  yet,  any 
way.  They  don't  come  much  till  after  the 
Fourth." 

17 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"No,  an'  judgin'  from  the  backwardness  uv 
ther  season,  nothin'  else  will,  either.  I  often 
wonder  what  on  earth  folks  ever  settled  round 
here  fer  anyway.  May  hev  been  that  they  wuz 
kind  uv  wild  when  they  wuz  young  an'  wanted 
ter  punish  themselves.  Well,  I  guess  I'll  be  jog- 
gin'  down  ther  road  toward  home.  Goin'  ter 
plant  a  little  more,  an'  as  terday  will  be  er  good 
day  fer  that  kind  uv  er  job,  guess  I'll  hump  my 
self,  ez  ther  camel  sed;  want  ter  raise  somethin' 
'sides  rocks  this  spring.  Why,  do  yer  know, 
Allan,  there's  er  piece  uv  land  up  back  uv  my 
house  where  I  hev  ter  whittle  pertaters  down  to 
er  sharp  p'int  ter  git  'em  inter  ther  ground 
'tween  ther  rocks,  an'  yet  they  keep  on  er  teachin' 
ther  scholars  in  ther  school  ter  sing  'er  farmer's 
life  is  ther  life  fer  me.'  Git  up." 

The  old  mare  came  out  of  her  drowse  and 
started  down  the  road  at  a  slow  trot,  the  old 
buggy  creaking  and  wailing  behind  her. 

''Who  was  that?''  inquired  Mrs.  Carter,  as  she 
came  out  to  the  front  porch  with  the  dish  towel 
in  her  hands. 

"Stillman  Gott,  Mary.  Do  you  know  that  I 
never  see  him  that  I  don't  stop  and  think  what 

18 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

a  curious  fellow  he  is?  Honest,  hard  working 
and  steady  as  a  clock,  and  yet  he  don't  seem  to 
get  ahead  any.  His  father  left  him  the  little 
place  where  he  lives  and  that  wood  lot  on  the 
island,  and  there  he  stays  on  that  farm  alone, 
year  in  and  year  out.  Keeps  his  buildings  look 
ing  fairly  well  and  all  that,  but  just  manages  to 
make  both  ends  meet.  Full  of  fun,  and  appar 
ently  never  has  a  blue  minute,  and  yet  I  should 
go  crazy  if  I  was  in  his  shoes.  Nothing  to  look 
forward  to,  as  I  see." 

"Why,  Allan,"  said  Mrs.  Carter  in  a  tone  of 
mild  reproof,  "he's  got  heaven  to  look  forward 
to,  just  as  much  as  you  and  I  have,  hasn't  he  ?" 

"Well,  yes,  Mary,  I  don't  know  but  what  he 
has,  and  I  guess  he  has  got  as  good  a  chance  as 
any  of  us  of  getting  there;  but  at  the  best  that's 
a  little  uncertain,  and  you  know  we  always  think 
of  it  as  a  long  way  off.  What  I  mean  is  nothing 
to  look  forward  to  in  this  world  except  hard 
work  and  plenty  of  that,  and  nobody  to  work  for 
but  himself.  I  wouldn't  turn  my  hand  over  just  to 
work  for  myself.  While  I  have  you  and  the  boy 
and  the  girl,  work  is  fun,  because,  you  see,  I'm 
doing  something  for  somebody,  and  knowing 

19 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

that  I'm  helping  them  in  some  way.  But  if  I 
went  to  bed  at  night  feeling  that  all  I'd  done 
during  the  day  was  only  for  myself,  I  believe 
that  would  take  all  the  fun  out  of  it,  and  I  don't 
know  as  I  would  do  much  nor  do  it  long.  Seems 
as  though  in  that  case  I'd  go  over  to  Sheep  island, 
build  a  little  camp  big  enough  to  turn  around  in, 
and  just  do  enough  to  keep  food  in  my  mouth 
and  clothes  on  my  back;  let  time  run  as  fast 
as  possible,  and  just  long  for  my  time  to  come 
to  lay  down  and  die.  That  sounds  kind  of  heath 
enish,  I  know,  but  what  would  be  the  use?  As 
it  is,  I'm  a  good  deal  like  the  fellow  I  read  a 
piece  of  poetry  about  in  the  county  paper  a  few 
days  ago.  I  cut  it  out,  as  it  seemed  to  just  fit  my 
case,  and  put  it  in  my  pocket.  You  listen  and 
I'll  read  it  to  you.  It's  called 


A  CONTENTED  MIND. 

I  hain't  got  much,  but  what  I  hev 

Is  wuth  er  ton  uv  gold: 
There's  fust  my  wife,  an'  then  ther  boy, 

An'  ther  girl,  what's  twelve  year  old. 

20 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

I've  got  no  money  in  ther  bank — 

They  bust  once  in  er  while; 
An'  what's  ther  use  uv  havin'  it 

Ef  sum  cuss  gits  ther  pile  ? 

An'  when  yer  think  it's  safe  an'  sound, 

An'  where  it's  right  on  hand, 
Ther  cashier  starts  sum  cold,  dark  night 

Fer  sum  queer  f  orin'  land. 

I've  froze  an'  sweat,  an'  dug  like  sin, 

Eight  here  in  this  small  town, 
An'  worked  merself  ter  skin  an'  bone 

Ter  keep  ther  mortgage  down. 

An'  every  year  I'd  make  er  p'int, 

When  int'rest  day  come  round, 
Ter  hev  ther  stuff  ter  make  it  good 

An'  plank  ther  money  down. 

An'  when  one  day  I  paid  it  off, 

An'  house  an'  farm  wuz  free, 
It  kinder  sorter  made  me  feel 

That  God  wuz  good  ter  me. 

21 


CHAPTER 
TWO 

By  the  time  that  Allan  Carter  had  again  taken 
up  the  toil  and  burden  of  the  day,  Stillman  Gott 
had  driven  along  the  road  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  and  turned  into  the  dooryard  of  his  little 
home.  It  was  a  small  story  and  a  half  house  that 
had  once  been  painted  brown,  but  the  hot  sun 
of  the  summer  and  the  fierce  storms  of  the  win 
ter  had  softened  and  mellowed  the  glaring  color 
of  the  original  paint  so  that  the  sides  of  the 
house  were  in  harmony  with  the  gray  moss  grow 
ing  on  the  shingles  of  the  roof.  A  hen  scuttled 
across  the  path,  calling  anxiously  to  her  brood  of 
chickens,  and  an  old  dog  arose  from  the  sunny 
spot  where  he  had  been  lying  and,  walking  down 
to  the  side  of  the  buggy,  looked  up  with  loving 
look  and  a  friendly  wag  of  the  tail. 

"  'Home  ergin  frum  er  forin'  shore,'  ez  ther 
feller  sed,"  murmured  Still,  as  he  led  the  old 

24 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

mare  into  the  small  barn  that,  with  the  henhouse, 
completed  the  buildings  of  the  little  farm. 

"There,  old  lady,  yer  can  eat  yer  dinner 
while  I  git  mine,  an'  then  we'll  do  er  little  more 
work  uv  some  kind  er  ruther." 

Going  into  the  house,  he  soon  placed  on  the 
table  the  frugal  meal  which  he  found  in  the 
closet,  and  seating  himself,  reverently  bowed  his 
head  and  closing  his  eyes,  said:  "Oh,  Lord,  I 
thank  yer  that  there's  ernuff  fer  ther  stock  an' 
somethin'  fer  myself,  an'  only  ask  that  I  may 
hev  ther  strength  an'  pluck  ter  earn  aur  livin' 
ez  long  ez  I  stay  here.  Amen." 

As  soon  as  dinner  was  eaten  and  the  dishes 
washed  and  put  away  in  the  closet,  the  old  mare 
was  again  hitched  into  the  buggy,  and  Still  drove 
along  the  road  to  a  point  where  a  grass  grown 
lane  led  off  from  the  main  road  down  through 
the  woods.  Turning  into  this  road,  the  old  mare 
jogged  along  over  the  narrow  path  until  she 
stopped  before  a  little  house  that  stood  in  the 
midst  of  a  small  garden  spot  surrounded  by  the 
woods.  At  the  sound  of  the  approaching  horse, 
a  woman  came  to  the  door  holding  a  little  child 
by  the  hand.  They  were  both  shabbily  dressed 

25 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  their  general  appearance  as  well  as  that  of 
the  house  and  surroundings  indicated  either  pov 
erty  and  neglect  or  extreme  meanness. 

"Mornin',  Mrs.  Gould,  mornin';  where's  Joe?" 
"He's  gone  fishin',"  said  the  woman  in  a  tone 
of  half  despair,  half  resignation.     "Been  gone 
two  days  now,  but  I'm  expectin'  him  back  Sat 
urday  night  or  Sunday." 

"Huh;  well,  he'll  probably  be  here.  'Tween 
you  an'  me,  such  fellers  allers  turn  up.  Ther 
Lord  hain't  no  use  fer  'em  in  heaven,  an'  so  they 
keep  on  livin'  here.  Guess  ef  J6e's  wishes  wuz 
ter  be  consulted,  he'd  like  nothin'  better  than  ter 
be  in  heaven  with  nothin'  ter  do  but  walk  ther 
golden  streets  an'  play  er  harp.  Ther  only  thing 
I  ever  knew  Joe  ter  do  middlin'  decent  wuz  ter 
play  er  fiddle,  so  I  guess  he'd  take  to  er  harp 
reel  easy.  'Scuse  me  fer  talkin'  so  right  out  in 
meetin',  but  I  ain't  tellin'  yer  no  news.  You  know 
ez  well  ez  I  do  that  Joe  hed  er  good  start  an' 
might  hev  been  half  decent,  but  bein'  ez  his  mot- 
ter  hez  allers  been,  'what  is  home  without  er 
jug,'  it's  landed  him  jest  where  he  is,  high  an' 
dry,  an'  come  ter  think  uv  it,  most  allers  dry. 
It's  er  long  lane  that  hezn't  got  er  demijohn  on 

26 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

it  fer  Joe.  But  we'll  let  that  drop,  ez  the  feller 
said  when  he  picked  up  ther  hot  brick.  That's 
neither  here  ner  there.  I  wuz  over  through  ther 
woods  er  cruisin'  round  last  week,  an'  I  made  up 
my  mind  by  ther  looks  uv  things  that  ef  Joe 
hed  somebody  ter  jest  take  hold  uv  him  an'  give 
him  er  shove,  mebbe  he'd  work  fer  one  day  any 
way,  an'  fix  things  up  er  little  round  here.  I'm 
er  believer  in  woman's  rights  to  er  sartain  extent, 
but  I  don't  go  so  fer  that  I  let  'em  fit  up  ther 
wood  fer  ther  stove,  an'  that's  what  I  seen 
yer  doin'  uv  last  week.  So  thinks  I,  I'll  go  over 
some  day  an'  see  if  I  can't  shame  him  inter  work- 
in'  er  little  an'  doin'  some  uv  ther  chores  round 
ther  house.  Thought  I'd  find  him  home  sure 
terday,  but  ez  long  ez  he  ain't,  I'll  do  it  myself. 
By  ther  way,  come  ter  think  uv  it,  there's  er  few 
bundles  uv  things  in  ther  buggy  that  yer  better 
take  out.  Few  little  things  I  hed  kickin'  round 
ther  house,  an'  thought  they  might  spile  ef  I 
didn't  git  red  uv  'em." 

Taking  the  saw  and  axe  that  stood  by  the 
chopping  block,  Still  began  sawing  and  splitting 
up  some  cordwood  that  lay  on  the  ground  be 
hind  the  house,  and  soon  had  several  weeks'  sup- 

27 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ply  heaped  up.  Then  taking  an  old  scythe  hang 
ing  up  on  the  side  of  the  house,  he  mowed  the 
weeds  in  the  "dooryard,"  raked  them  up  and 
threw  them  into  the  pig  pen. 

As  he  finished  clearing  up  the  space  in  front 
of  the  house,  the  woman  came  out,  and  with 
tears  in  her  eyes,  said:  "Still  Gott,  you  ain't  no 
angel,  because  you're  er  human  bein',  but  you're 
as  nigh  to  one  ez  they  make  on  this  earth." 

"Shaw,  Mandy,"  said  Still  with  a  smile,  "what 
yer  talkin'  erbout?  Ain't  no  job  ter  cut  up  er 
little  wood,  an'  ez  fer  them  things  I  fetched  over, 
they  cluttered  up  my  house  so  I  didn't  want  'em. 
Ez  fer  not  bein'  an  angel,  I  guess  yer  right.  I 
hain't  got  pinfeathers,  say  nothin'  uv  wings." 

"Well,  now,  Still  Gott,  it's  ther  fust  time  I 
ever  knew  flour  an'  sugar  an'  tea  an'  butter  clut 
tered  er  house  up.  I  know  why  you  brought  'em, 
an'  while  Joe  ought  ter  be  ashamed  ter  hev  me 
obliged  ter  take  things  frum  neighbors,  I'm  jest 
ez  thankful  ez  I  can  be." 

"'Tain't  necessary,  Mandy,  ter  thank  me  at 
all.  Ef  I've  got  more'n  I  need  uv  anythin',  it's 
my  duty  ter  give  it  ter  somebuddy  else,  an'  so, 
ez  I  sed,  I  brought  it  over  here  ter  git  red  uv  it. 

28 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Sun's  gettin'  down,  an'  I  guess  I'll  be  headin' 
fer  home/'  and,  getting  into  the  old  buggy,  Still 
turned  the  aged  mare  around,  and  in  a  few  mo 
ments  was  lost  to  the  view  of  the  grateful  woman 
and  wondering  child. 

"Seems  kinder  queer  how  things  turn  out," 
mused  Still,  as  he  jogged  along  over  the  grassy 
road.  "Ther  good  book  says  ther  ways  uv  ther 
Lord  are  parst  findin'  out,  an'  so  I  better  not 
spend  much  time  guessin',  but  what  in  thundera- 
tion  she  married  thet  man  fer,  I  dunno.  I  s'pose 
it  might  er  been  er  good  deal  worse,  ez  ther  fel 
ler  said  when  he  buried  his  mother-in-law,  but 
Joe  always  wuz  er  lazy  cuss  frum  ther  time  he 
wuz  big  ernuff  ter  walk,  an'  she  knew  it  if  she'd 
ever  stopped  ter  think.  Come  uv  er  poor  crowd, 
an'  his  mother  an'  father  were  just  like  him. 
Poor  run-out  stock,  ez  fer  back  as  I  kin  remem 
ber,  an'  Mandy  grew  up  on  er  farm  an'  ought 
ter  hev  known  that  yer  can't  raise  trottin'  bosses 
frum  crowbaits.  Nothin'  an'  nothin'  make  noth- 
in',  jest  ez  much  in  human  bein's  ez  in  figgers. 
Thank  ther  Lord,  that  child  takes  after  her 
folks  an'  not  after  his,  an'  mebbe  she'll  amount 
ter  something  ef  only  she  can  git  er  lift  out  uv 

29 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ther  muck  she's  in  now.  Why,  er  Berkshire  hog 
with  any  bringin'  up  wouldn't  be  satisfied  with 
ther  way  they  live.  Ez  fer  Joe  himself,  he  ain't 
fit  ter  live  with  horned  cattle.  Well,  ther  Lord's 
will  be  done,  ef  it  wuz  His,  but  it  don't  seem  ez 
though  it  could  er  been.  Ef  matches  are  made 
in  heaven,  I  swanny  that  one  of  Joe's  and  Man- 
dy's  wuz  made  one  day  when  nobuddy  wuz  tend- 
in*  ter  bizness.  G'long,  Nellie/' 

The  only  romance  in  Still's  life  had  been  when 
he  was  a  young  man  of  about  twenty-five.  Joe, 
Mandy  and  Still  had  all  attended  the  district 
school  together  as  children,  and  as  young  people 
had  met  frequently  at  church  and  at  the  little 
social  gatherings  in  the  town.  Still,  as  well  as 
Joe,  had  fallen  in  love  with  the  girl,  and  for  a 
short  time  there  had  been  a  sharp  rivalry  be 
tween  them  for  her  favor.  But  the  quick  tongue 
and  skyrocket  ways  of  Joe  had  attracted  the  girl 
more  than  the  quiet,  thoughtful  manner  of  Still, 
and  so  she  had  made  her  choice,  as  many  a  wo 
man  had  done  before  her,  and  as  many  more  will 
do  as  long  as  the  world  lasts. 

Joe  had  started  well  enough,  owning  a  good 
farm  left  him  by  his  uncle,  but  too  constant 

30 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

loafing  around  the  village  evenings,  and  a  per 
sistent  endeavor  to  drink  all  the  hard  cider  manu 
factured  in  the  neighborhood,  had  brought  him 
to  a  point  where,  although  it  could  not  be  said 
that  his  family  were  in  the  poorhouse,  yet  they 
lived  on  the  same  road  and  knew  all  the  inmates. 
The  road  up  hill  to  success  had  been  too  diffi 
cult  a  journey  for  Joe,  while  the  descent  from 
something  to  nothing  was  easy  travelling,  and 
required  no  exertion.  A  lazy  man  never  has  been 
successful  since  the  Almighty  sat  down  to  rest 
after  the  stupendous  undertaking  of  creating  a 
world,  and  the  first  mistake  Adam  and  Eve  made 
was  to  begin  life  doing  nothing.  And  when  these 
two  inexperienced  beings  broke  one  of  the  laws 
laid  down  for  their  guidance,  Omniscience,  pity 
ing  their  weakness,  punished  them  by  conferring 
upon  them  man's  greatest  blessing,  hard  work. 


CHAPTER 
THREE 

A  certain  witty  person  once  said  that  electric 
cars  were  not  needed  in  the  town  in  which  he 
lived,  because  "every  person  lived  just  where  he 
wanted  to  go.  It  was  only  a  short  walk  to  all 
the  stores,  and  as  everybody's  relations  lived  in 
the  town  they  did  not  need  to  travel  a  mile  even 
to  visit  all  their  friends." 

The  town  of  Bartlett  was  in  many  respects  a 
fair  example  of  the  place  above  described.  Sit 
uated  on  a  neck  of  land  beyond  the  limits  of 
railroads  and  only  visited  once  a  week  in  the 
summer  by  a  small  steamboat,  very  few  of  the 
inhabitants  ever  saw  the  necessity  of  going  be 
yond  "the  village,"  as  the  centre  of  the  town 
was  called,  except  the  few  young  men  who  went 
"coasting"  on  the  small  schooners  which  took 
kiln  wood  to  Rockland  or  brought  flour,  corn 

32 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  other  articles  of  commerce  from  Boston  or 
Portland  to  the  village  stores. 

It  was  in  no  sense  true  that  the  people  were 
ignorant  or  narrow-minded.  Far  from  it.  Most 
of  them  read  a  daily  paper,  selected  according 
to  their  respective  political  beliefs,  and  what  was 
more,  believed  every  word  therein.  This  paper 
and  a  weekly  "County  Clarion,"  which  contained 
all  the  local  news,  a  few  agricultural  suggestions, 
a  little  poetry  by  local  talent,  and  a  short  story 
comprised  all  the  literature  which  in  their  opin 
ion  was  necessary  to  keep  up  with  the  times. 
They  knew  nothing  of  the  stock  market,  except 
the  one  controlling  the  price  of  cattle  and  sheep ; 
opera  and  symphony  concerts  were  unknown 
words;  their  vocal  music  was  the  liquid  note  of 
the  robin,  the  creak  of  the  gull,  the  miniature 
watchman's  rattle  of  the  red  squirrel  and  the 
lonesome  cry  of  the  loon  calling  to  his  mate; 
while  the  breeze  softly  whispering  through  the 
tops  of  the  spruces,  and  the  ever  constant  sound 
of  the  waves  beating  against  the  rocky  shore 
were  symphonies  far  more  beautiful  than  any 
ever  conceived  by  mortal  minds. 

Even  in  the  matter  of  religion  they  were  not 

33 


CHAPTER 
THREE 

A  certain  witty  person  once  said  that  electric 
cars  were  not  needed  in  the  town  in  which  he 
lived,  because  "every  person  lived  just  where  he 
wanted  to  go.  It  was  only  a  short  walk  to  all 
the  stores,  and  as  everybody's  relations  lived  in 
the  town  they  did  not  need  to  travel  a  mile  even 
to  visit  all  their  friends." 

The  town  of  Bartlett  was  in  many  respects  a 
fair  example  of  the  place  above  described.  Sit 
uated  on  a  neck  of  land  beyond  the  limits  of 
railroads  and  only  visited  once  a  week  in  the 
summer  by  a  small  steamboat,  very  few  of  the 
inhabitants  ever  saw  the  necessity  of  going  be 
yond  "the  village,"  as  the  centre  of  the  town 
was  called,  except  the  few  young  men  who  went 
"coasting"  on  the  small  schooners  which  took 
kiln  wood  to  Rockland  or  brought  flour,  corn 

32 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  other  articles  of  commerce  from  Boston  or 
Portland  to  the  village  stores. 

It  was  in  no  sense  true  that  the  people  were 
ignorant  or  narrow-minded.  Far  from  it.  Most 
of  them  read  a  daily  paper,  selected  according 
to  their  respective  political  beliefs,  and  what  was 
more,  believed  every  word  therein.  This  paper 
and  a  weekly  "County  Clarion,"  which  contained 
all  the  local  news,  a  few  agricultural  suggestions, 
a  little  poetry  by  local  talent,  and  a  short  story 
comprised  all  the  literature  which  in  their  opin 
ion  was  necessary  to  keep  up  with  the  times. 
They  knew  nothing  of  the  stock  market,  except 
the  one  controlling  the  price  of  cattle  and  sheep ; 
opera  and  symphony  concerts  were  unknown 
words;  their  vocal  music  was  the  liquid  note  of 
the  robin,  the  creak  of  the  gull,  the  miniature 
watchman's  rattle  of  the  red  squirrel  and  the 
lonesome  cry  of  the  loon  calling  to  his  mate; 
while  the  breeze  softly  whispering  through  the 
tops  of  the  spruces,  and  the  ever  constant  sound 
of  the  waves  beating  against  the  rocky  shore 
were  symphonies  far  more  beautiful  than  any 
ever  conceived  by  mortal  minds. 

Even  in  the  matter  of  religion  they  were  not 

33 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

torn  by  conflicting  beliefs.  Their  faith  was 
strong  but  simple.  Living  as  they  did  at  the 
feet  of  old  Ocean,  the  majority  of  them  were 
firm  believers  in  the  Baptist  faith,  although  the 
village  boasted  of  two  other  small  meeting  houses, 
the  Orthodox  and  the  Methodist.  The  good  peo 
ple  differed,  and  yet  they  agreed ;  they  had  their 
petty  differences,  yet  never  a  violent  quarrel  that 
came  to  blows,  and  rarely  a  law  suit.  The  vil 
lage  squire  lived,  but  never  fattened  off  his 
neighbors,  nor  would  he  have  desired  to  if  he 
could,  for  they  were  old  friends  always  and  cli 
ents  only  occasionally. 

So  too  in  the  giving  and  taking  in  marriage. 
They  fell  in  love  with  each  other  because  they 
had  been  born  and  had  lived  side  by  side  and 
knew  each  other  thoroughly,  and  therefore  knew 
whom  to  seek  and  whom  to  avoid.  An  occasional 
man  lived  and  died  unwed  because  he  was  shift 
less  and  every  woman  knew  he  would  be  a  poor 
provider,  and  a  few  women  lived  the  life  of  single 
blessedness,  either  because  there  were  not  men 
enough  to  supply  the  demand  or  because  they 
were  known  to  have  sharp  tongues  and  a  temper 
of  their  own.  It  was  well  nigh  impossible  to  go 

34 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

back  farther  than  one's  grand-parents  without 
being  able  to  trace  a  relationship  to  almost  every 
person  in  the  town,  and  so  they  lived  out  their 
lives  as  their  fathers  had  before  them,  and  as 
their  children  would  when  they  were  gone,  one 
great  family  of  industrious,  law-abiding,  God 
fearing  people. 

There  had  been  people  by  the  name  of  Day 
and  Locke  in  the  town  of  Banlett  ever  since  the 
time  when  the  Indians  first  saw  white  men  sailing 
up  the  bay  in  the  "great  canoes,"  and  conse 
quently  the  two  families  had  always  known  each 
other  and  were  connected  by  numerous  inter 
marriages  among  their  forefathers. 

The  farms  of  Stephen  Day  and  Josiah  Locke 
lay  side  by  side,  extending,  as  all  the  farms  on 
the  Xeck  did,  from  one  side  of  the  road  down 
to  the  shore  of  the  bay,  and  from  the  other  side 
back  to  the  spruce  woods,  and  so  continuing  to 
the  salt  pond  which  was  formed  by  the  ever  rest 
less  waters  of  old  ocean  rushing  in  and  out  with 
each  incoming  and  outgoing  tide  through  a  nar 
row  opening  in  the  land. 

The  sons  and  daughters  had  gone  to  school 
and  church  together,  and  one  by  one  had  left 

35 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  farm  to  seek  a  home  of  their  own,  until 
finally  there  was  only  one  child  left  in  each  fam 
ily,  Elinor  Day  and  Edward  Locke.  And  they 
had  begun  as  their  brothers  and  sisters  had, 
walking  hand  in  hand  to  school,  carrying  their 
little  baskets  of  luncheon;  but  whereas  the  others 
had  grown  apart  as  they  became  older  and  their 
youthful  affection  had  stood  still,  except  so  far 
as  it  had  been  strengthened  by  years  of  friend 
ship,  these  two  scions  of  the  old  ancestral  trees 
continued  side  by  side  as  the  years  came  and  de 
parted. 

The  bashful  youth  had  walked  with  the  sweet, 
sunny-haired  girl  day  after  day,  hardly  daring 
to  cast  even  an  eye  of  admiration,  much  less  one 
of  affection  toward  her,  while  she  had  accepted 
his  companionship  because  it  pleased  her  rather 
than  because  she  desired  his  presence  near  her, 
or  because  she  even  dreamed  of  love. 

As  they  grew  older  they  attended  church  with 
their  parents,  and  in  time  arrived  at  the  age 
when  they  could  be  trusted  to  go  to  prayer-meet 
ing  without  any  danger  of  their  going  to  sleep 
during  the  exercises,  and  at  last  they  graduated 
into  the  monthly  church  sociables  and  thus  made 

36 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

their  appearance  in  society. 

The  two  had  grown  nearer  together  through 
this  series  of  steps,  and  it  had  become  a  recog 
nized  fact  among  the  other  youthful  swains  that 
it  was  a  useless  waste  of  time  to  attempt  to  see 
Elinor  Day  home,  for  Edward  Locke  was  not 
only  always  the  first  at  her  side  when  prayer- 
meeting  "let  out"  or  the  sociable  "broke  up," 
but  he  was  never  refused.  And  he  grew  to  love 
her  as  spring  brightened  into  summer,  summer 
ripened  into  autumn,  and  autumn  faded  beneath 
the  cool  blasts  of  on-coming  winter,  and  he 
counted  that  day  lost  when  he  did  not  see  her 
and  hear  the  sound  of  her  voice,  if  only  for  a 
moment,  and  thus  she  became  almost  his  very 
life.  For  her  sake  he  worked,  for  her  sake  he 
had  his  ambitions,  and  for  her  he  would  have 
dared  anything. 

He  had  been  satisfied  with  the  life  on  a  farm 
until  his  love  for  her  had  caused  him  to  build 
air  castles  and  to  hope  for  fame  and  fortune  that 
he  might  lay  their  fruits  at  her  feet.  And  con 
sequently,  against  the  wishes  of  his  father,  he 
left  the  farm,  and  for  months  had  been  employed 
on  the  county  paper  assisting  the  editor  in  "get- 

37 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ting  out"  that  wonderful  sheet  which,  like  all 
other  newspapers,  was  dedicated  to  the  promo 
tion  of  the  public's  welfare,  but  which  mean 
while  did  not  refuse  subscriptions  or  advertising. 

He  had  continued  to  see  her  at  every  possible 
opportunity  when  at  home,  and  when  he  first 
left  the  farm  for  the  neighboring  town  where 
the  paper  was  published,  realizing  the  awful  fact 
that  he  would  not  see  her  for  one  long  week, 
each  day  of  which  seemed  a  decade  to  him,  he 
had  called  at  her  house  to  bid  her  good-bye  with 
the  same  feeling  of  impending  sorrow  and  loss 
which  an  older  and  more  experienced  person 
would  have  felt  had  he  been  on  the  eve  of  leav 
ing  wife  and  children  for  a  term  of  years. 

They  sat  in  the  parlor  on  the  old-fashioned 
haircloth  sofa  for  over  an  hour,  he,  too  full  of 
grief  and  sorrow  to  speak,  and  she,  lightly  chat 
ting  of  the  wonderful  change  he  was  going  to 
make,  and  of  her  envy  of  his  chance  to  see  the 
world.  For  to  her  limited  vision  the  whole 
world  and  all  therein  contained  was  situated  just 
outside  of  Bartlett.  He  had  answered  her  with 
yes  or  no  whenever  she  stopped  to  take  a  new 
breath  in  order  to  begin  again,  but  finally  his 

38 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

love  for  her  swept  over  him  as  a  mighty  wave 
sweeps  over  a  bit  of  sand  carrying  everything 
before  it.  He  turned  toward  her,  and  said: 

"Elinor,  it  seems  to  me  as  though  I  was  going 
away  tomorrow  for  years.  You  know  I  am  leav 
ing  home  for  the  first  time.  It  will  be  terribly 
lonesome  for  me,  and  I  do  not  think  I  could 
bear  it  if  I  did  not  feel  that  I  had  Sunday  to  look 
forward  to.  You  and  I  have  been  friends  for 
years,  I  cannot  remember  when  we  were  not,  and 
I  know  that  I  am  going  away  from  home  for 
your  sake  more  than  I  am  for  my  own.  I  want 
to  be  able  some  day  to  come  to  you  and  offer 
you  a  home  as  my  wife,  for,  Elinor,  you  are  the 
only  girl  I  ever  loved  or  ever  shall  love.  Will 
you  wait  for  me  ?  Some  day  will  you  be  my  wife  2 
You  know  my  love  for  you;  you  must  know  it. 
You  must  have  seen  it  in  every  word  I  spoke 
and  in  every  look  I  gave.  Tell  me,  Elinor,  that 
you  care  for  me,  won't  you?" 

For  a  while  the  girl  did  not  speak,  and  a  look 
of  mingled  fear  and  awe  crept  over  her  face. 
And  then  turning  toward  her  lover,  she  said: 
"Edward,  I — I  never  dreamed  that  you  felt  that 
way  toward  me.  I  knew  you  liked  me  as  I  al- 

39 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ways  have  liked  you.  I  have  always  been  happy 
to  have  you  near  me,  always  felt  that  I  had  a 
true  friend  in  you,  one  to  whom  I  could  go  at 
any  time  and  be  sure  that  whatever  you  said  was 
right  But  when  you  tell  me  that  you  love  me, 
when  you  say  that  you  are  leaving  home  for  my 
sake  and  against  the  wishes  of  your  father,  it 
frightens  me.  It  does  not  seem  to  me  as  though 
it  was  right  for  me  to  let  you  do  all  that  for  me 
unless  I  would  be  willing  to  do  as  much  for  you, 
and  I  don't  know  as  I  could.  I  have  never 
thought  of  leaving  home.  I  have  always  thought 
that  I  should  be  with  father  and  mother  as  long 
as  they  lived,  and  yet  now  I  realize  that  if  I  loved 
you  as  I  know  you  love  me,  I  would  turn  my 
back  to  the  world  and  go  into  a  desert  and  be 
happy  with  you.  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  that  I 
loved  you,  but  somehow  I  don't  dare  to  say  it. 
It  would  be  a  terrible  thing  to  tell  you  that  I 
did,  and  then  learn  later  that  I  had  misunder 
stood  my  feelings.  What  could  I  do  if  I  found 
that  I  had  made  a  mistake,  and  that  I  loved  some 
other  man?  Should  I  tell  you  and  ruin  your 
life,  or  live  a  lie  and  ruin  my  own?  I  don't 
know  my  own  heart,  Ed,  I  honestly  don't.  I 

40 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

care  for  you  more  than  I  do  for  any  one  on  earth, 
except  my  father  and  mother,  but  I  have  seen 
so  few  people.  Oh,  Ed,  why  couldn't  we  have 
stayed  as  we  were,  good  friends?  I  am  so  sorry 
you  told  me.  You  can't  unsay  it,  and  if  you 
tried  to  I  should  know  just  the  same  what  your 
feelings  toward  me  were.  I  can't  tell  you  I  love 
you;  I  wish  I  could.  All  I  can  say  is:  I  care  for 
you,  I  know  I  do,  and  I  will  try  to  love  you." 

And  then  they  sat  silently  on  the  sofa  side  by 
side,  his  arm  around  her  waist  and  her  head  upon 
his  shoulder;  he  dreaming  of  the  great  things 
he  would  accomplish  for  her  sake,  and  she  won 
dering  whether  she  had  better  let  him  go  on 
dreaming  his  happy  dream  or  awaken  him  to 
despair  and  vanished  hope.  The  clock  on  the 
mantel  struck  nine,  and  the  hour  for  Edward's 
departure  had  arrived.  They  walked  to  the  door 
together  and  parted  and  bade  each  other  good 
night  a  dozen  times,  and  then  Edward  walked 
down  the  road  toward  his  father's  house.  The 
stars  seemed  to  be  shining  brighter  than  ever 
before,  and  the  silence  of  the  evening  whispered 
to  him  the  song  of  joy  and  hope.  What  a  good 
world  this  was  and  how  fortunate  he  was !  Well, 

41 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

he  would  try  to  deserve  it  all,  and  be  worthy  of 
her. 

He  turned  as  he  opened  the  door  of  his  home 
and  looked  up  the  road  toward  the  house  where 
she  lived,  and  as  he  gazed  he  saw  the  light  go 
out  in  her  chamber.  "God  bless  her/'  he  mur 
mured,  and  closed  the  door. 


CHAPTER 
FOUR 

As  Still  sat  reading  the  county  paper  one  Sun 
day  afternoon  the  door  opened  and  Edward 
walked  in. 

"Still,"  said  he,  in  a  hesitating  manner,  "may 
I  talk  with  you  a  few  moments?" 

"Sartin,  Ed,  sartin.  Come  right  in,  take  er 
chair,  an'  fire  away.  How  yer  doin'  on  ther  pa 
per?  Wuz  jest  readin'  it,  but  uv  course  dunno 
what  part  you  wrote,  an'  so  can't  find  out  erbout 
yer  'cept  by  askin'.  Like  it  ez  well  ez  ever,  er 
are  yer  comin'  back  an'  goin'  ter  f armin'  ergin  ?" 

"Yes,  I  like  it,  and  I  shall  stick  to  it.  I  shall 
never  come  back  to  father's  farm  unless  I  find 
that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  earn  my  living  in 
some  other  way.  I  hate  to  disappoint  father, 
but  I  loathe  farming.  It  isn't  that  I  am  afraid 
of  hard  work.  Father  never  complained  about 
the  manner  in  which  I  did  anything  he  asked  me 

43 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

to  do,  or  that  I  didn't  do  it  well,  but  I  never 
liked  it,  and  was  always  anxious  to  be  doing  some 
thing  other  than  hoeing  potatoes  or  getting  in 
hay.  I  admit  that  it  is  an  honorable  life  and  an 
independent  one,  but  I  don't  like  it,  and  it  seems 
to  me  that  a  man  is  not  making  the  most  and 
best  of  himself  in  doing  something  he  has  no  in 
terest  in,  if  he  can  possibly  find  some  other  busi 
ness  or  profession  that  he  does  enjoy  and  one 
he  is  fitted  for,  either  naturally  or  by  education. 

"Now  I  have  worked  for  nearly  six  months  on 
the  county  paper,  and  I  enjoy  my  work,  and, 
what  is  more  to  the  point,  the  editor  has  told 
me  that  he  believes  newspaper  work  is  my  call 
ing.  I  had  a  long  talk  with  him  yesterday  be 
fore  I  started  for  home,  and  he  advises  me  to 
go  to  Boston  and  get  a  position  on  one  of  the 
large  newspapers  there.  He  said  that,  of  course, 
I  could  stay  with  him  as  long  as  I  wanted  to,  but 
there  was  a  certain  limit  to  the  salary  and  to  the 
opportunities,  beyond  which  I  could  never  ex 
pect  to  go  on  a  small  country  paper. 

"jSTow  I  want  your  advice.  I  can't  go  to  father, 
because  he  is  so  disappointed  at  my  not  staying 
on  the  farm  that  he  won't  say  anything  except 

44 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

'do  as  you  please  as  long  as  you  won't  stay  here/ 
You  may  think  it  a  strange  thing,  my  coming 
to  you,  but  I  have  always  liked  you,  and  have  al 
ways  considered  you  a  man  of  good  sense  and 
judgment.  You  always  had  a  kind  word  for  us 
boys,  and  so  I  felt  you  would  tell  me  what  to  do. 
It  is  a  great  venture  for  me  to  go  to  a  great  city 
like  Boston  with  nothing  but  a  letter  of  recom 
mendation  from  the  editor  of  a  little  country 
newspaper,  but  I  am  willing  to  make  the  effort 
and  see  if  I  cannot  succeed.  What  do  you  think 
of  it?" 

"Ed,  yer've  been  er  good  boy  ez  long  ez  I've 
known  yer.  Guess  yer  haven't  stole  no  more  ap 
ples,  er  gone  in  swimmin'  ergenst  yer  mother's 
orders  any  oftener  than  any  healthy,  live  boy 
would,"  said  Still  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "It's 
er  pretty  hard  thing  fer  me  ter  decide.  I  had 
er  talk  with  er  city  feller  last  summer  what  was 
boardin'  up  ter  ther  village,  an'  judgin'  frum 
what  he  told  me  erbout  city  life  money  wouldn't 
hire  me  ter  live  there.  Ev'rybuddy  ter  his  likin', 
ez  ther  monkey  sed  when  he  married  ther  hen, 
but  ez  fer  me,  I'd  ruther  hear  ther  patterin'  uv 
ther  rain  on  ther  shingles  uv  this  little  house 

45 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

than  ther  infernal  buzzin'  uv  them  trolley  cars; 
an'  I  wouldn't  swap  ther  singin'  uv  ther  birds  in 
ther  mornin'  an'  ther  chirp  uv  ther  cricket  in 
ther  evenin'  fer  ther  hollerin'  uv  some  drunken 
loafer  under  my  winder,  fer  all  ther  money  in 
ther  County  Bank.  I  kin  go  ter  bed  here  an'  ef 
I  don't  lock  ther  door  it  don't  make  no  differ 
ence,  but  in  ther  city  I'm  told  that  yer  hev  ter 
lock  up  ev'ry  winder  ef  yer  want  ter  keep  what 
belongs  ter  yer.  However,  it  don't  foller  because 
I  wouldn't  like  it  that  you  won't.  Then,  ergin, 
you  want  ter  be  careful  that  what  yer  startin' 
in  ter  do  is  what  yer  fitted  fer.  Sometimes  er 
feller  thinks  he  hez  'er  call  ter  do  somethin'  er 
other,  when  ther  truth  is  ther  call  is  so  darned 
low  'twould  be  better  fer  him  ter  pay  no  'tention 
ter  it.  Now,  ef  you've  chewed  it  all  over  an' 
made  up  yer  mind  that  yer  want  ter  try  it,  an' 
that  is  what  yer  built  fer,  why,  jest  spit  on  yer 
hands  an  sail  in,  an'  don't  give  up  till  yer've  given 
it  er  good  hard  trial.  There,  that's  all  I've  got 
ter  say.  Now  use  yer  own  good  sense." 

"Still,"  said  Ed,  "I've  thought  it  all  over,  and 
as  far  as  that  question  is  concerned,  I  have  de 
cided  to  go;  but  what  I  particularly  want  your 

46 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

advice  on  is  leaving  home  and  going  contrary  to 
father's  wishes." 

"Oh,  yer  want  ter  ask  me  whether  yer  shall 
mind  yer  father  er  not  ?"  said  Still,  with  a  smile. 
"Well,  that's  er  hard  one.  On  general  principles, 
I  say  yes.  I  allers  minded  mine,  an'  I  ain't  sorry 
for  it  yet,  my  boy.  Yer  father's  older'n  you  are 
an'  got  more  judgment.  Most  boys  don't  think 
so,  an'  they  gen'rally  hev  er  better  idee  uv  their 
own  judgment  an'  brains  than  they'll  ever  hev 
ergin  ef  they  live  to  be  ez  old  ez  old  Deacon  Simp- 
kins,  an'  he  wuz  er  hundred  an'  three  when  he 
died;  but  in  this  case,  yer  father's  judgment  ain't 
any  better'n  mine,  an'  mine  ain't  good  fer  noth- 
in',  because  yer  see  we  don't  know  nothin'  erbout 
newspapers  'cept  ez  we  read  'em.  I  think  that 
other  things  bein'  equal,  yer've  er  right  ter  go 
ter  Boston  an'  try  yer  luck,  an'  when  I  say  try 
yer  luck  I  don't  mean  ter  sit  down  waitin'  fer 
good  luck  ter  hunt  yer  up.  Doin'  that  is  er  good 
deal  like  settin'  down  in  er  fifty  acre  lot  waitin' 
fer  er  cow  ter  back  up  ter  yer  ter  git  milked. 
She  won't  do  it,  an'  while  yer  waitin'  some  other 
feller  hez  hunted  her  up  an'  filled  his  pail.  Most 
uv  ther  people  in  Bartlett  that's  sot  round  wait- 

47 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

in'  fer  luck  are  in  ther  poor  house  now.  Hunt 
fer  good  luck,  an'  hunt  hard,  an'  when  yer  find 
it  grab  onto  it  an'  use  yer  brains  good  an'  quick 
fer  all  yer  wuth.  I  say  go,  do  yer  best,  an'  ef 
yer  find  you've  made  er  mistake,  come  home  like 
er  man  an'  say  so." 

"I'm  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  Edward. 
"Now  there's  one  thing  more  I  want  to  ask  you. 
You  probably  have  noticed  that  I  have  been  pay 
ing  attention  more  or  less  to  Elinor  Day,  and 
as  far  as  we  are  concerned,  matters  are  nearly 
settled,  that  is,  I  hope  they  are.  But  her  father 
is  just  as  much  opposed  to  my  leaving  the  farm 
as  my  own  father.  I  was  up  there  last  evening, 
and  he  came  into  the  room  where  Elinor  and  I 
were  sitting.  He  asked  me  what  I  was  doing 
at  the  present  time,  and  if  I  intended  going  to 
Boston.  I  told  him  that  I  had  about  decided  to 
make  a  change,  and  that  if  I  did  so,  it  would  be 
with  the  intention  of  going  to  Boston  and  trying 
to  get  a  position  on  a  newspaper  there.  We  had 
quite  an  argument  about  my  going  and  my  un 
willingness  to  stay  on  the  farm  and  'let  well 
enough  alone,'  as  he  called  it.  Then  he  got  angry 
and  told  me  that  if  I  stayed  at  home  ami  took 

48 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

father's  farm,  he  had  no  objection  to  my  coming 
to  see  Elinor,  but  otherwise  he  would  object  to 
any  such  thing.  Elinor  cried,  and  told  him  that 
we  could  settle  matters  between  us,  but  that 
made  no  difference.  Finally,  he  told  me  not  to 
come  to  the  house  again  or  write  Elinor  until  I 
either  gave  up  all  thoughts  of  leaving  Bartlett, 
or  showed  him  that  I  was  earning  enough  to  sup 
port  his  daughter  in  a  decent  manner.  As  I  am 
earning  only  eight  dollars  a  week  now,  of  course 
that  settled  the  question  for  the  present.  Now 
it  will  be  hard  enough  for  me  to  go  to  a  strange 
city  and  live  away  from  all  my  people  and  friends, 
but  I  must  in  some  way  hear  about  Elinor  once 
in  a  while.  She  has  told  me  that  she  will  wait 
for  me  as  long  as  I  want  her  to,  and  that  she 
will  be  patient  and  loyal  if  she  only  knows  I  am 
well  and  succeeding.  Will  you  write  me  once  in 
a  while  and  let  me  know  how  she  is,  and  then 
when  I  answer  your  letter  you  can  tell  her  how 
I  am  getting  along?  Will  you  do  this  for  me, 
Still  ?" 

"Yes,"  said  Still,  hesitatingly,  'Til  do  it,  but 
I  ain't  much  uv  er  writer,  an'  you'll  hev  ter  take 
what  yer  git  in  ther  way  uv  letter  writin'  an'  be 

49 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

satisfied.  How  often  do  you  cal'late  ter  hear 
frum  me?" 

"Twice  a  week/'  replied  Edward  impetuously, 
"and  as  much  of  tener  as  possible." 

"Andrew  Jackson  an'  several  other  Pres'dents! 
Why,  Ed,  I  hain't  wrote  er  letter  in  ten  years. 
Yer  see,  ther  only  people  I  hev  any  dealin's  with 
live  nigh  ernuff  so's  I  kin  reach  'em  by  drivin' 
er  few  miles.  I'll  tell  yer  what  I'll  do.  I'll  git 
some  paper  an'  envelups,  an'  ev'ry  Sunday  after 
church  an'  after  I  git  sort  uv  squared  away,  I'll 
send  yer  some  word  er  ruther.  Now  don't  expect 
anythin'  alarmin'  in  the  way  uv  er  letter,  'cause 
I  ain't  used  to  it,  an'  I'll  hev  ter  go  by  what  I 
see  an'  hear  an'  what  she  may  say  whenever  I 
happen  ter  run  ercross  her.  They'll  proberbly 
read  er  good  many  times  like  what  happened 
once  in  town  meetin'.  They  wuz  er  committy 
app'inted  to  investigate  somethin',  an'  it  seems 
as  though  ev'ry  one  on  ther  committy  kind  uv 
laid  down  on  ther  rest  ter  do  what  wuz  neces 
sary.  When  they  got  tergether  ter  make  up  their 
report  they  found  nothin'  hed  been  done,  so  they 
come  inter  the  next  meetin'  an'  sed,  'Ther  com 
mitty  report  progress,  an'  ask  fer  ferther  time.' 

50 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

You  go  erhead  an'  tend  ter  bizness  an'  don't  fret 
yer  head  erbout  Bartlett.  No  news'll  be  good 
news.  Think  uv  yer  work  fust  an'  girls  next. 
There's  more  girls  in  ther  world  than  chances 
ter  git  erhead,  though  proberbly  jest  now  it 
seems  to  yer  ez  though  there  wuz  only  one  girl 
in  the  whole  state  uv  Maine,  'though,  ez  er 
matter  uv  fact,  there's  quite  er  parcel  uv  'em. 
There,  that's  all  I've  got  ter  say  erbout  it.  How 
yer  fixed  f er  ready  money  ?" 

The  young  man's  face  flushed,  and  for  a  mo 
ment  he  made  no  answer.  Then  he  replied, 
"Still,  I  wouldn't  answer  that  question  for  any 
other  living  being  but  you,  for  I  am  proud  and 
sensitive  about  such  things;  but  I  know  you  have 
asked  the  question  from  your  heart,  without 
any  desire  to  pry  into  my  affairs,  and  only  be 
cause  you  are  interested  in  me.  For  that  reason 
I  am  going  to  be  frank  with  you.  Of  course, 
while  I  have  been  away  I  have  had  my  board 
and  room  rent  to  pay,  and  I  was  obliged  to  pur 
chase  some  new  clothing;  but  I  have  got  fifty 
dollars  saved  up,  and  I  have  no  doubt  I  shall  get 
employment  before  that  is  gone." 

Still  arose  from  his  chair,  went  into  his  little 

51 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

bedroom  and  closed  the  door.  The  young  man 
turned  and  gazed  out  of  the  window  across  the 
blue  waters  of  the  bay,  and  in  fancy's  dreams 
saw  himself  returning  to  Bartlett  in  a  few 
months'  time,  "bearing  his  blushing  honors  thick 
upon  him." 

"Kind  uv  pooty  place  ter  leave,  ain't  it?"  said 
a  voice  behind  him,  and  Edward  turned  around, 
and  saw  Still  standing  near  his  chair.  "Dream- 
in',  wuzn't  yer?  An'  pleasant  dreams,  I  s'pose? 
Well,  hev  all  yer  kin  uv  'em  now,  fer  when  yer 
git  erlong  in  years  an'  stop  ter  do  anything  uv 
that  sort,  some  uv  'em,  'stead  uv  bein'  dreams, 
will  turn  out  nightmares.  Dreams,  when  yer 
young  an'  lookin'  forrard,  is  pleasant  things; 
but  when  yer  old  an'  lookin'  back,  it's  like  look- 
in'  inter  er  graveyard  fer  lively  company.  I  used 
ter  hev  dreams  when  I  wuz  your  age,  an'  plan 
out  more  things  that  never  come  true  than  yer 
could  shake  a  stick  at;  but  uv  late  years  when  I 
do  it,  which  ain't  very  often,  I  only  dream  uv 
ther  other  side  uv  Jordan,  an'  my  mother,  an' 
father,  an'  my  sister  what's  livin'  there.  Most 
uv  ther  lookin'  when  yer  git  my  age  is  lookin' 
back  instead  uv  forrard.  But  I'll  quit  that  kind 

52 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

uv  talk  'cause  that  ain't  what  yer  want,  an'  git 
down  ter  bizness.  Now,  Ed,  fifty  dollars  ain't 
er  flea  bite  in  Boston;  won't  last  yer  six  weeks 
ef  yer  git  out  uv  work.  You've  been  used  ter 
good  beds  an'  good  livin',  an'  what  yer  git  here 
fer  most  nothin'  will  cost  er  pile  up  in  Boston. 
Ez  nigh  ez  I  kin  jedge  frum  what  I've  heerd, 
ther  folks  that  used  ter  look  after  young  fellers 
what  came  frum  ther  country  an'  give  'em  er 
helpin'  hand,  hez  mostly  died  er  moved  out  uv 
town.  You're  only  one  little  grain  uv  sand  er- 
mong  er  thousand  big  rocks.  It's  er  case  now 
uv  dog  eat  dog,  an'  most  uv  ther  dogs  is  poor, 
yaller,  hungry  houn's.  Keep  yer  eyes  skinned, 
yer  ears  opened  an'  one  fist  doubled  up  all  ther 
time,  an'  yer'll  pull  through,  I  guess.  So  fur,  so 
good.  What  I'm  comin'  at  is  this.  I've  got  er 
hundred  dollars  here  what  I  ain't  no  use  fer,  an' 
yer  take  it  till  yer  git  sort  of  squared  away  an' 
ev'ry  sail  er  drawin'.  Now  don't  git  yer  Eben- 
ezer  up  at  what  I'm  sayin',  'cause  I  ain't  goin' 
ter  give  it  ter  yer,  only  sort  uv  lend  it.  An'  when 
yer  git  so  much  money  on  hand  that  it  sort  uv 
bothers  yer  ter  keep  track  uv  it,  why,  send  it  back ; 
an'  ef  yer  never  send  it  back,  why,  I  dunno  any 

53 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

better  way  uv  investin'  it  than  lettin'  some  likely 
young  feller  like  you  hev  it." 

The  young  man  stood  silent  for  several  mo 
ments  with  trembling  lips  and  tearful  eyes.  Then 
grasping  Still's  hand,  he  said,  "I  won't  thank 
you  because  I  know  you  don't  want  me  to,  but 
if  I  ever  forget  you  and  what  you  have  done  for 
me  it  will  be  because  I  am  dead." 

"That's  all  right,  all  right,  Ed,"  answered  Still. 
"Lots  uv  folks  would  do  the  same  ef  you'd  asked 
'em  ter.  Now,  ef  when  that's  gone,  ther  sled- 
din's  kind  uv  poor  an'  there's  «r  good  many  bare 
spots  in  ther  road,  let  me  know,  an'  I'll  try  an' 
spare  er  little  more.  I  shan't  need  it,  'nless  ther 
mare  dies  er  something  like  that,  an'  she  looks 
good  fer  some  time  to  come.  I  wuz  thinkin'  uv 
buyin'  er  melodian  with  it,  an'  takin'  music  les 
sons  an'  givin'  up  farmin',  but  we'll  let  that  go 
fer  now,"  he  added,  with  a  smile.  "Good-bye  an' 
good  luck." 

As  the  young  man  walked  down  the  road  away 
from  the  house,  Still  stood  at  the  window  and 
watched  him  until  he  disappeared  from  sight. 
Then  turning  away  with  a  sigh,  he  sat  down  in 
the  old  rocking  chair  that  stood  beside  the  stove, 

54 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  for  several  moments  was  silent. 

The  clock  on  the  shelf  over  the  stove  ticked 
away  merrily,  the  cat  rubbed  against  his  legs,  and 
soon  the  old  dog  arose  from  his  comfortable  place 
on  the  floor,  stretched  himself,  and,  coming  over 
to  his  master,  placed  his  head  upon  Still's  knee 
and  looked  up  into  his  face  with  eyes  that  were 
almost  human  in  their  pleading. 

"No,  Tige,"  said  Still,  as  he  patted  the  dog's 
head  affectionately,  "yer  can't  help  me  one  mite, 
though  I  know  yer  would  ef  yer  could.  An'  what 
makes  it  wuss,  nobuddy  kin  but  ther  Almighty, 
an'  he  don't  intend  ter  ez  fer  ez  I  kin  see.  The 
Lord's  will  be  done,  but  it's  orful  tough.  I  ain't 
complainin',  but  it's  more'n  I  kin  understand. 
There's  men  an'  women  in  this  town,  piles  uv 
'em,  that  never  ort  ter  hev  been  married.  Wust 
thing  that  ever  happened  to  'em,  an'  yit  they 
never  hed  no  trouble  gittin'  hitched  up.  An' 
there's  other  couples  what  ain't  fit  ter  raise  er 
white  pine  dog  with  er  popple  tail,  an'  they  hev 
so  many  children  they  can't  keep  track  uv  'em 
er  think  uv  names  ter  give  'em.  An'  here  I've 
been  eatin'  my  heart  out  fer  more'n  thirty  years 
fer  some  one  I  could  call  my  own,  willin'  ter 

55 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

work  my  fingers  down  ter  ther  bone  fer  wife  an' 
children,  ef  I  hed  any,  an'  I'm  sent  through  ther 
world  with  nothin'  but  er  dog  ter  take  care  uv. 
An'  proberbly  somewhere  in  ther  world  there's  er 
lonely  woman  er  f  eelin'  jest  ther  same  ez  I  do,  with 
er  big  motherly  heart  er  dryin'  up  an'  dryin'  up  ez 
ther  years  roll  by.  Ef  I  could  hev  found  that 
woman  we'd  both  been  happy,  but  it  wuzn't  ter  be, 
it  wuzn't  ter  be.  Yer  kin  erdopt  somebuddy's 
else  children  uv  course,  but  they  ain't  yer  own 
flesh  an'  blood,  an'  at  ther  best  yer'd  only  be 
doin'  yer  duty,  an'  it  would  only  be  er  cheap  imer- 
tation  uv  ther  reel  thing,  an'  yer  wouldn't  fool 
yerself  one  half  minute.  Yer'll  enjoy  'em  an'  all 
that,  uv  course,  but  er  feller  will  never  know 
what  it  is  ter  reely  live  till  he  hez  some  uv  his 
own,  an'  praises  God  one  minute  that  he's  got 
'em,  an'  gits  frightened  blue  ther  next,  erfraid 
he's  goin'  ter  lose  'em.  I  s'pose  it's  all  right,  an' 
I  ain't  complainin',  but  I  ain't  reconciled  one 
single  bit,  an'  there'll  be  er  hungry  spot  in  my 
heart  ez  long  ez  I  live.  It's  an  awful  thing  ter 
hev  ter  think  that  when  yer  time's  come  ter  go 
that  yer  leavin'  none  uv  yer  own  blood  behind 
yer.  Well,  this  ain't  er  doin'  no  good  settin' 

56 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

here  mournin'  erbout  what  I  never  hed  an'  never 
kin  hev." 

And  the  lonely  man  arose  from  his  chair  with 
a  sigh,  and  went  about  attending  to  his  duties. 


CHAPTER 
FIVE 

The  desolation  of  a  shipwrecked  sailor  alone 
on  the  wide  ocean,  with  nothing  between  him 
and  death  but  a  broken  spar,  and  nothing  for 
the  eye  to  rest  upon  but  the  sky  and  the  track 
less  deep,  has  been  so  often  pictured  and  de 
scribed  that  any  person  can  understand  the  sit 
uation;  but  the  awful  loneliness  of  a  young  man 
in  a  strange  city,  full  of  people  yet  empty,  teem 
ing  with  life  yet  death  personified,  cannot  be 
described.  It  must  be  personally  realized,  must 
be  endured  by  one's  self,  before  it  can  be  even 
imagined. 

To  Edward  Locke,  fresh  from  the  regular 
routine  life  of  a  country  town  in  which  the  only 
excitement  was  the  daily  arrival  of  the  small 
steamboat  and  the  annual  number  of  deaths  and 
marriages,  the  rushing  business  life  of  a  great 
city  with  its  constantly  changing  views  was  a 
source  of  enjoyment  and  study  for  a  few  days. 

58 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

He  had  sought  out  the  editor  of  the  great  paper 
to  whom  he  had  a  letter  of  introduction,  and, 
after  sending  in  his  name,  stating  his  business 
and  waiting  nearly  a  half-hour  in  an  anteroom, 
had  been  ushered  into  the  august  presence. 

"Mr.  Locke,  I  believe/'  the  great  man  had 
said.  "Glad  to  meet  you.  Eemember  your  for 
mer  employer  very  well.  We  started  together  in 
the  newspaper  business.  Haven't  seen  him  for  a 
good  many  years,  but  pleased  to  know  that  he 
has  not  forgotten  me.  Understand  from  his  let 
ter  that  you  have  had  some  experience  in  news 
paper  work,  and  desire  to  connect  yourself  with 
a  paper  here  in  Boston.  Good  field  for  a  smart 
young  man,  and  the  poorest  place  I  can  imagine 
for  one  who  has  only  ordinary  ability  and  is  not 
possessed  of  more  than  an  average  gift  for  this 
particular  profession.  Very  few  of  the  first  kind, 
and  the  name  of  the  latter  is  legion.  We  have 
no  vacancy  at  present  for  one  of  the  first  class, 
and  never  intend  to  have  a  place  for  one  of  the 
second.  Will  bear  you  in  mind  and  endeavor  to 
give  you  an  opportunity  to  see  if  you  can  be  of 
use  to  us  as  soon  as  a  chance  offers  itself.  Good- 
day,  sir." 

59 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Edward  was  out  of  the  office  and  on  the  side 
walk  before  he  fully  recovered  from  the  reception 
he  had  received.  He  had  expected  that  the  editor 
would  have  been  pleased  to  hear  from  his  old 
friend,  so  pleased  that  it  would  have  taken  some 
time  to  have  answered  all  the  inquiries  about 
his  former  employer;  that  eventually  the  great 
man  would  have  managed  to  find  out  all  he  de 
sired  to  know  about  his  old  friend,  and  then 
would  have  come  the  question  of  finding  a  place 
in  the  office  for  him. 

How  many  times  he  had  seen  his  old  employer 
stop  in  the  middle  of  an  editorial  he  was  writing 
to  greet  an  old  friend,  take  his  pipe,  light  it,  and 
tip  his  chair  back  preparatory  to  a  long  friendly 
chat.  Yes,  and  when  the  friend  rose  to  go,  urge 
him  not  to  hurry  and  to  come  again  soon.  And 
this  man !  Why,  he  was  the  coldest  blooded  mor 
tal  he  had  ever  had  the  ill  luck  to  meet!  He 
didn't  appear  to  be  busy  either.  Well,  never 
mind,  there  were  other  offices  in  town,  other  pa 
pers  published  that  probably  needed  assistance. 

With  this  idea  in  mind,  Edward  visited  the 
office  of  every  newspaper  in  the  city  with  equally 
poor  success.  In  fact,  in  none  of  them  did  he 

60 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

even  see  the  editor-in-chief,  being  invariably  di 
rected  to  see  some  assistant,  and  as  often  in 
formed  that  they  needed  no  addition  to  their 
force  in  any  department.  If  he  could  have  judged 
from  the  noise  and  confusion  going  on  in  each 
place  he  visited  he  would  have  imagined  that  not 
one,  but  a  dozen  new  assistants  were  needed  at 
once. 

Little  by  little  he  began  to  realize  that  while 
the  task  of  a  country  editor  was  to  get  news 
enough  to  fill  his  paper,  the  only  question  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  managed  the  papers  in  a 
great  city  was  what  to  select  out  of  the  great 
mass  of  matter  brought  to  their  attention. 

For  two  long  weeks  he  wandered  about  the 
city  like  a  lost  soul,  every  day  getting  more  ac 
customed  to  the  rush  and  confusion,  and  each 
morning  rinding  himself  with  less  money  and  a 
fainter  hope  and  courage.  At  the  end  of  that 
time,  as  his  early  habits  of  industry  would  not 
allow  him  to  sit  in  idleness  any  longer,  he  began 
to  look  for  work  of  any  kind,  and  a  few  days 
later  found  him  working  in  the  great  market  of 
the  city,  toiling  as  he  had  never  been  obliged  to 
work  on  his  father's  farm,  but  earning  a  living. 

61 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

He  had  written  to  Still  every  week,  and  each 
letter  had  brought  a  reply,  but  as  yet  nothing 
in  the  way  of  a  letter  from  the  cold,  distant  man 
in  Boston  from  whom  he  had  expected  so  much. 

One  night,  however,  when  he  returned  to  the 
boarding  house  place,  where  he  had  passed  the 
hours  when  he  was  not  working,  and  which  he 
regarded  as  the  poorest  excuse  for  a  home  that 
one  could  imagine,  a  letter  awaited  him  that  told 
him  that  he  had  not  been  entirely  forgotten. 
Getting  permission  from  his  employer  to  be  away 
for  an  hour,  the  next  morning  he  hastened  at  the 
appointed  time  to  the  newspaper  office.  Await 
ing  his  turn,  he  was  again  ushered  into  the  pri 
vate  office  of  the  editor. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  the  editor,  as  soon  as  he  had 
again  introduced  himself,  "you  are  the  young 
man  that  brought  me  the  letter  of  introduction 
from  my  old  friend  a  few  weeks  ago.  Got  any 
situation?  Down  in  the  market,  eh?  Well, 
that's  work,  even  if  it  is  not  what  you  want  to 
do.  What  did  you  start  in  that  business  for?" 

Edward  explained  that  he  did  not  want  to  be 
idle,  in  fact,  could  not  afford  to  be,  and  so  had 
taken  the  first  chance  that  offered  itself  while 

62 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

waiting  for  a  better  one. 

"Good  idea/'  said  the  editor,  "never  did  like 
a  man  who  sat  around  waiting  for  a  particular 
situation  and  meanwhile  refused  every  other  one. 
Shows  that  you  are  willing  to  work.  Now  comes 
the  test  of  your  fitness  for  this  particular  kind 
of  work.  Better  give  your  present  employer  a 
week's  notice  and  then  report  to  the  city  editor. 
Good  day/' 


CHAPTER 
SIX 

"Hello,  here's  a  letter  from  Ed.  Poor  feller, 
guess  he's  blue  ernuff.  Last  letter  I  got  he  hadn't 
got  no  job  in  er  newspaper  office,  an'  no  likeli 
hood,  uv  one,  either.  Let's  see  what  he  says" — 
And  Still  opened  the  envelope,  took  out  the  letter 
and  began  to  read  it  aloud. 

Boston,  Mass., . 

Dear  Still: 

I  have  got  a  situation  at  last,  and  on  the  best 
paper  in  Boston  at  that.  Twenty  dollars  a  week, 
and  if  I  do  good  work  I  am  assured  of  an  in 
crease.  The  work  is  a  little  hard  at  first,  as  I 
am  not  accustomed  to  the  streets  yet,  and  there 
fore  lose  a  good  deal  of  time  finding  places  to 
which  I  am  sent.  Really,  the  time  I  spent  wan 
dering  around  before  I  got  to  work  at  all  was 
well  spent,  although  it  did  not  seem  so. 

64 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  editor-in-chief  is  a  man  who  wastes  very 
little  time  on  his  subordinates.  He  engages  one 
in  a  moment  and  discharges  another  as  quickly. 
The  first  thing  happened  to  me,  and  the  second 
to  a  man  who  has  been  on  the  paper  about  a 
year.  I  asked  one  of  the  other  fellows  what  the 
trouble  was  with  him,  thinking  I  would  find  out 
in  that  way  what  to  avoid,  and  he  replied,  "Guess 
he  anointed  his  breath  too  often." 

The  younger  portion  of  the  editorial  force  are 
a  study  to  me,  for  they  are  the  ones  for  me  to 
imitate  to  a  certain  extent.  They  are  bright 
smart  and  energetic,  and  apparently  all  on  the 
lookout  for  a  chance  to  better  themselves  on  the 
paper. 

I  had  a  few  moments  interview  with  the  editor- 
in-chief  the  other  day.  Did  not  suppose  he  had 
remembered  my  existence.  He  stopped  me  and 
inquired  if  I  liked  my  work.  I  told  him  I  did, 
and  that  the  only  unpleasant  thing  connected 
with  it  was  my  constant  fear  of  making  some 
mistake  that  would  lose  me  my  situation.  He 
smiled  and  said,  "that  fear  of  losing  your  situa 
tion  will,  if  properly  controlled,  probably  keep 
it  for  you."  Said  he  had  inquired  about  me  and 

65 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

had  good  reports.  Asked  me  what  I  did  in  my 
spare  time,  and  advised  me  to  read  the  best  part 
of  the  best  books  and  papers  I  could  obtain,  and 
strive  constantly  to  improve  my  style.  And  that 
is  the  man,  Still,  whom  I  thought  was  cold  and 
distant ! 

By  the  way,  I  wish  you  could  be  in  the  office 
for  an  hour  and  watch  the  business  manager  of 
the  paper,  and  see  him  despatch  the  business. 

The  other  day  I  was  coming  down-stairs  from 
the  editorial  rooms,  and  I  stopped  amazed  at  the 
quickness  with  which  he  got  rid  of  people  and 
business.  He  had  at  least  two  hundred  letters 
on  his  desk,  and  as  fast  as  he  opened  them  would 
run  his  eye  down  over  the  enclosure  and  appar 
ently  know  the  whole  contents  before  you  would 
judge  he  had  read  five  words.  Then  the  next 
one  was  grabbed,  opened  and  read  in  the  same 
manner.  Meanwhile,  he  was  making  separate 
piles  of  them  according  to  the  respective  depart 
ments  for  which  they  were  intended.  Then  he 
rang  for  an  office  boy,  directed  him  to  take  the 
bundles  of  letters  to  the  different  people  whose 
duty  it  was  to  attend  to  them,  and  sent  another 
boy  to  the  telephone  to  see  if  a  certain  person 

66 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

was  at  his  place  of  business.  Meanwhile,  one 
moment  he  was  talking  with  some  advertising 
agent  and  closing  a  contract  with  him,  and  the 
next  second  giving  some  subordinate  in  the  office 
the  most  terrible  "blowing  up"  I  ever  heard  ill 
my  life.  Lurid  was  no  name  for  it;  it  was  ab 
solutely  sulphurous.  When  it  comes  to  using 
language  of  that  description  this  man  can  beat 
the  world.  And  while  I  was  wondering  if  the 
person  who  was  being  raked  over  the  coals  was 
going  to  throw  something  at  him,  I  heard  him 
say  to  him  in  the  next  breath,  "There,  so  much 
for  business.  Don't  let  that  happen  again.  It 
raises  Tophet  in  the  office  and  stirs  up  a  lot  of 
people.  Now,  another  thing.  Some  one  was 
telling  me  this  morning  that  your  wife  had  been 
very  ill  and  you  were  very  much  worried  about 
her.  Sorry  for  you.  Here  is  a  pass  on  the  rail 
road  for  two.  Take  her  away  for  a  fortnight, 
get  her  well,  and  particularly  get  all  worry  off 
your  mind.  You  can't  do  good  work  here  when 
you  are  thinking  of  troubles  at  home.  Pay  will 
go  on  just  the  same.  Most  of  your  work  is  first 
class  and  we  appreciate  it.  Never  mind  your 
thanks.  I  am  too  busy  to  listen  to  them." 

67 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

One  of  the  force  told  me  that  afternoon  that 
the  business  manager  was  the  last  man  in  the 
office  to  have  after  you  if  you  made  a  mistake, 
and  the  first  one  all  the  boys  went  to  when  they 
were  in  trouble.  He  said  to  me,  "He  is  the  most 
cynical  man  I  ever  met  in  my  life,  and  he  has 
got  the  bitterest  tongue,  but  his  heart  is  as  ten 
der  as  a  woman's." 

Why,  they  tell  a  story  about  him  that  he  had 
an  old  employee  whom  he  was  always  growling 
at  for  making  mistakes,  and  whom  he  was  con 
tinually  threatening  to  discharge.  Finally,  the 
old  fellow  died,  and  one  day  soon  after  his  death 
a  gray-haired  old  lady  called  at  the  office  and  in 
quired  for  the  business  manager.  He  got  up 
from  his  desk  and,  walking  over  to  her,  said  in 
his  quick  way,  "What  can  I  do  for  you,  madam  ?" 
She  replied,  "I  have  come  in  to  see  you,  sir, 
about  Mr.  Temple."  "Yes,"  said  the  manager; 
"well,  he  is  dead."  The  tears  came  into  the 
woman's  eyes  as  she  replied,  "Yes,  sir,  I  know  it. 
He  was  my  husband.  I  only  called  to  tell  you 
how  sorry  he  used  to  be  because  he  made  mis 
takes  and  bothered  you  so.  He  used  to  tell  me 
about  it  when  he  came  home  nights,  and  he  felt 

68 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

sorry  about  it.  He  said  you  stood  more  from 
him  than  any  other  man  would,  and  were  so  pa 
tient  with  him.  You  see,  sir,  for  over  a  year  he 
was  failing  and  many  a  day  came  to  work  when 
he  ought  to  have  been  in  bed.  I  thought  I  would 
come  down  and  tell  you  how  much  he  thought  of 
you  and  how  thankful  he  was  that  you  let  him 
stay  till  the  last,"  and  the  manager  turned  away 
from  her  and  looked  at  the  wall  for  a  moment 
and  got  his  handkerchief  out,  and  then  he  went 
over  to  the  cashier's  room  and  came  back  with 
a  roll  of  bills  in  his  hand.  "There,  madam/'  he 
said,  "I  guess  your  husband  stood  a  good  deal 
from  me,  too.  I  find  in  looking  the  books  over 
that  we  had  increased  your  husband's  salary 
quite  a  while  before  he  died,  and  he  had  never 
drawn  the  extra  pay.  So  I  will  hand  it  to  you," 
and  he  bowed  her  out  before  she  could  say  a 
word.  The  cashier  had  followed  him  out  to  as 
certain  what  the  money  was  to  be  used  for,  and 
overheard  the  last  of  the  manager's  remarks. 
And  in  a  tone  of  surprise  he  said,  "Why,  I  didn't 
know  Temple's  pay  had  been  raised,"  and  the 
manager  fairly  howled  at  him,  "Didn't  know  I  Of 
course  you  didn't!  There're  lots  of  things  you 

69 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

don't  know.    I  think  I  can  indulge  in  a  lie  once 
in  a  while  if  I  pay  for  it  and  it  does  any  good." 

Have  very  little  time  to  go  to  either  the  thea 
tre  or  church,  and  therefore  have  very  little  of 
interest  to  write  you,  as  all  I  have  seen  is  what 
is  going  on  in  the  office.  Let  me  hear  from  you 
as  often  as  convenient.  Yours, 

Ed. 
P.  S.    How  is  Elinor? 

"Well,"  remarked  Still,  as  he  folded  the  letter 
up  and  carefully  put  it  behind  the  clock,  "guess 
I  sh'd  like  that  manager.  Me  an'  him  would 
hitch  hosses  all  right.  Howsomever,  that  P.  S. 
is  probably  all  he  wants  answered,  an'  as  ternight 
is  erbout  ez  good  er  time  ez  eny  fer  me  ter  write 
er  letter,  guess  I'll  start  in.  Wonder  what  he'd 
say  if  I  wrote  him  all  I  knew  ?  'Twont  do,  though. 
Ther  boy  is  doin'  well  an'  got  started,  an'  very 
little  now  would  upset  the  whole  kittle  uv  fish. 
Don't  quite  like  ther  way  things  is  lookin',  but 
it  may  turn  out  all  right,  an'  so  I  won't  holler 
till  I'm  hurt." 

And  Still  hunted  around  the  house  until  he 
found  his  pen  and  ink,  got  some  paper  and  pre- 
70 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

pared  to  write  his  reply,  a  harder  task  for  him 
than  he  had  undertaken  in  many  a  day. 

Bartlett's  Xeck. 
Dear  Ed:— 

I  got  your  letter  and  as  today  is  a  day  of  rest, 
being  Sunday,  guess  I'll  answer  you,  though 
when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  writing  letters 
ain't  no  rest  for  me,  but  the  hardest  kind  of 
work. 

Have  just  got  home  from  the  village.  Went 
to  meeting  and  heard  one  of  Mister  Small's  reg- 
erlation  sermons  on  the  Almighty.  Funny  what 
idees  some  men  hev  of  their  heavenly  father.  If 
my  own  father  hed  been  half  as  ugly  as  Elder 
Small  made  God  out  to  be,  I'd  hev  left  home  as 
soon  as  I  could  hev  crawled  off  the  place.  How 
anybody  on  earth  can  be  a  Christian  and  then 
feel  as  the  Elder  does,  gets  me.  Why,  his  whole 
sermon  was  all  about  God's  anger  and  wrath  and 
how  the  wicked  was  going  to  be  punished-  'Twas 
enuff  to  make  a  dog  quit  his  vittles,  and  there 
sat  a  whole  parcel  of  little  children  drinking  that 
stuff  in  and  scared  blue.  Now  I  don't  believe  in 
that  sort  of  thing.  Why  not  tell  'em  about  His 

71 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

love  for  us,  and  how  He  pities  us  and  knows 
what  weak  critters  we  are,  and  that  when  we  go 
wrong  He  feels  worse  than  we  do.  And  like  a 
father  to  us,  He  may  think  that  we  ought  to  hev 
a  good  trouncing,  but  at  the  same  time  rather 
hurt  Himself  than  us. 

I  see  Elinor  at  church.  She  seemed  to  be 
bearing  up  fairly  well  considering  the  weather 
and  the  sermon.  You  can't  never  tell  what's 
running  through  a  woman's  mind,  so  I  couldn't 
say  how  much  she  misses  you.  Jest  as  soon 
guess  where  lightening  is  going  to  strike  next  as 
guess  what  a  woman  will  do.  They're  liable  to 
take  jest  the  one  they  want  ruther  than  the  one 
folks  pick  out  for  'em. 

Coming  out  of  church  I  hauled  alongside  of 
her  and  just  dropped  a  hint  that  I'd  heard  from 
you  again,  and  she  got  kind  of  red,  and  said  she 
was  glad  to  know  you  was  gitting  on  and  hoped 
you  would  get  settled  soon.  Said  she  was  very 
much  interested  in  you,  being  as  you  and  her 
were  old  friends.  I  didn't  let  on  how  much  I 
knew.  I  guess  you  can  depend  on  her  as  much 
as  any  of  them,  as  she  comes  of  good  stock. 

We  are  having  quite  a  spell  of  weather  now 

72 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  things  are  looking  all  right.  Keep  pointed 
right  up  into  the  wind  and  you'll  fetch  all  right. 
No  more  now.  From 

Stillman  Gott. 

When  he  had  finished  the  letter  he  slowly  read 
it  over  and  said:  "I  allers  supposed  till  lately 
that  ther  truth  should  be  spoke  at  all  times,  an* 
I  don't  intend  ter  begin  lyin'  now,  but  I've  made 
up  my  mind  ter  keep  some  uv  ther  truth  ter  my 
self.  Ed's  too  high  strung  ter  git  ther  whole 
thing  in  one  dose.  'Twould  be  too  much  fer  him. 
Ther  few  hints  I've  give  him  in  that  letter  won't 
stir  him  up  much,  ez  I've  only  kinder  hinted 
erbout  women  in  general  an'  hain't  said  nothin' 
perticular  erbout  Elinor  Day.  Seems  ter  me 
that  when  I  wrote  that  yer  can't  tell  any  one 
minit  what  er  woman'll  do  in  ther  next,  that  I've 
hit  ther  nail  on  ther  head;  an'  when  I've  said 
that  er  woman  always  picks  out  ther  man  she 
wants  an'  not  ther  one  ther  rest  uv  ther  folks 
pick  out  fer  her,  that  I'm  kinder  hintin'  'round, 
so's  he'll  be  kinder  prepared  fer  what's  goin'  ter 
happen,  unless  I  miss  my  guess.  I  never  see 
ther  wind  change  any  faster  than  er  woman  can 

73 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

when  she  makes  up  her  mind  ter  do  it.  They're 
ez  much  different  f rum  men  ez  chalk  is  diff'rent 
frum  cheese.  Men  are  natchrully  bad,  but 
women  are  queer.  I've  been  studyin'  'em  ever 
since  I  wuz  er  boy,  an'  I  don't  understand  'em 
yet.  Wish  I  wuz  out  uv  it,  but  I  ain't,  an'  I 
guess  I'll  hev  ter  see  it  through  some  way.  I'm 
erbout  ez  fit  ter  be  mixed  up  in  er  love  affair  ez 
I'd  be  ter  play  er  pianner,  an'  I  don't  know 
nothin'  erbout  music.  I  read  somewheres  in  er 
paper  that  ther  fellers  what  Uncle  Sam  sends 
ercross  ther  water  ter  act  fer  ther  United  States 
hez  ter  be  mighty  slick  liars  ter  hold  our  end  up 
with  them  f orrin  fellers,  an'  ef  that's  so,  I  better 
stick  ter  farmin'  an'  fishin'.  I  don't  say  but  what 
I'd  do  fairly  well  on  er  hoss  trade,  er  ther  size 
uv  ther  fish  what  I  ketch,  but  when  it  comes  ter 
writin'  letters  erbout  love  affairs,  seems  ter  me 
ez  though  I  wuz  er  leetle  mite  weak." 


CHAPTER 
SEVEN 

Mrs.  Day  was  a  woman  who  was  looked  up  to 
by  all  the  people  in  Bartlett,  and  as  Still  had 
often  remarked,  "She  wuz  er  leetle  mite  ther 
best  woman  that  ever  broke  bread."  If  sickness 
or  sorrow  came  into  any  household,  Sarah  Day 
was  always  the  first  ministering  angel  to  come 
into  that  home  and  do  all  in  her  power  to  assist 
the  suffering  or  wipe  away  the  tears  of  grief. 
And  yet  there  were  many  other  women  in  the 
town  who  were  equally  tender-hearted,  equally 
willing  to  do  good.  But  as  soon  as  Sarah  Day 
arrived  on  the  scene  of  action,  any  other  woman 
who  might  be  present  retreated  and  became 
merely  an  assistant,  for  Sarah  was  born  to  com 
mand.  She  managed  all  the  church  sociables  and 
"ran"  all  the  funerals  in  her  immediate  vicinity. 
She  picked  out  the  hymns  to  be  sung,  arranged 
the  order  of  the  funeral  procession,  and  gener- 
75 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ally  after  the  rest  of  the  mourning  friends  had 
departed  for  the  cemetery,  remained  at  the  house 
in  order  to  "get  things  to  rights,"  as  she  called 
it.  It  was  not  because  she  enjoyed  funerals  or 
sickness,  but  she  would  rather  do  all  the  work 
herself  or  at  least  superintend  it,  than  sit  still 
or  be  a  subordinate.  And  then  again  it  was  a 
change  from  the  humdrum  routine  of  house 
work  on  a  farm,  a  mild  form  of  dissipation. 
Monday,  washing;  Tuesday,  ironing;  Wednesday, 
mending  and  any  extra  work;  Thursday,  what 
ever  had  been  left  over  from  the  rest  of  the 
week;  Friday,  sweeping,  and  Saturday,  baking, 
and  in  between  feeding  the  chickens,  skimming 
the  milk  and  making  the  butter. 

Eound  and  round,  round  and  round,  day  in, 
day  out,  week  in,  week  out,  year  after  year  went 
the  tread  mill  from  the  time  she  and  Stephen 
Day  had  walked  through  the  door  of  her  present 
home.  Sunday  was  a  little  different;  after  she 
had  got  breakfast,  washed  and  dressed  the  chil 
dren,  cleared  up  the  dining-room  and  kitchen 
and  put  away  the  dishes,  she  climbed  into  the 
carryall  and  went  to  church  and  listened  to  the 
choir  sing, 

76 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"As  pants  the  wearied  hart  for  cooling  springs, 
That  sinks  exhausted  in  the  summer's  chase," 

and  she  longed  for  one  cooling  spring  in  her  life; 
and  when  they  sang, 

"When  the  weary,  seeking  rest, 

To  thy  Goodness  flee; 
When  the  heavy-laden  cast 
All  their  load  on  Thee;" 

she  would  wonder  if  before  she  died  there  would 
be  just  a  brief  moment,  a  mere  breathing  spell, 
when  she  could  sit  down  with  nothing  to  do  but 
fold  her  hands  and  rest,  rest,  rest.  As  fast  as 
each  of  her  other  daughters  had  arrived  at  an 
age  where  they  could  help  her  in  her  work,  some 
young  man  had  persuaded  her  to  forsake  home 
and  cleave  unto  him,  and  out  of  the  whole  flock 
only  one  was  left.  She  had  seen  the  others  begin 
where  she  had  begun,  she  saw  no  future  for 
them  other  than  her  past,  and  she  resolved  that 
at  least  this  last  one,  the  youngest,  and  because 
she  was  the  last,  in  that  respect  the  dearest, 
should  have  an  easier  time  of  life,  should  have 
a  few  flowers  growing  beside  her  path.  If  her 
good  husband  had  known  how  she  felt  about  life, 

77 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

he  would  have  gasped  for  breath  from  surprise. 
Why,  she  had  a  good  home,  plenty  to  eat  and  he 
had  never  been,  stingy  with  her.  Of  course  she 
had  her  work  to  do,  but  then  he  had  his.  He 
did  not  realize  that  he  went  to  the  village  once 
in  a  while,  attended  town  meeting  once  a  year 
and  his  lodge  once  a  month,  while  she  was  simply 
an  animated  machine.  She  loved  her  husband 
and  she  knew  that  he  loved  her,  although  her  be 
lief  in  his  love  was  founded  on  the  memory  of 
years  ago  when  they  were  young  rather  than 
upon  outward  signs  from  day  to  day.  Stephen 
had  "quit  all  that  foolishness,"  as  he  would  have 
termed  it,  years  ago.  There  were  no  storms  in 
her  life,  but  what  was  even  worse,  there  was  no 
sunshine.  Nothing  but  the  cloudy  day  and  the 
black  night. 

She  determined  that  Elinor  should  not  marry 
a  farmer  nor  any  other  man  who  simply  earned 
a  good  living.  "Of  course,"  she  argued  with  her 
self,  "one  could  love  such  a  man,  but  would  it 
not  be  as  easy  to  love  some  other  who  had  more 
money  ?  You  might  not  think  as  much  of  him  at 
first,  but  if  he  gave  you  a  good  home,  and  simply 
let  you  once  in  a  while  peep  out  into  the  world, 

78 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

you  would  grow  to  love  him;  and  if  he  lived  in 
some  city,  if  he  had  the  means  not  only  to  let 
you  see  the  world,  but  be  a  part  of  it,  how  could 
you  help  loving  a  man  who  thus  gave  you  a  fore 
taste  of  Heaven?" 

She  had  never  told  her  thoughts  to  her  daugh 
ter,  she  had  not  deemed  it  necessary.  She  would 
wait  until  danger  came  nigh,  until  some  suitor 
appeared,  and  then  it  would  be  time  enough  to 
speak.  As  for  Edward  Locke,  it  never  occurred 
to  her  that  he  was  or  could  be  in  love  with 
Elinor.  Why,  they  were  simply  good  friends, 
and  those  who  were  friends  from  childhood 
would  only  remain  friends.  But  on  the  night 
that  Edward  last  called  at  the  house,  her  eyes 
had  been  opened.  Her  husband  generally  re 
tired  for  the  night  when  she  did,  and  after  get 
ting  into  bed,  opened  not  his  mouth  unless  it 
might  possibly  be  to  disturb  her  slumbers  with 
snores  like  unto  the  voice  of  the  bull  of  Bashan. 
And  when  that  night,  instead  of  immediately  pro 
ceeding  to  go  to  sleep,  he  began  by  saying, 
"Sarah,  I  want  ter  talk  ter  yer  er  minute  before 
we  go  ter  sleep,"  she  knew  that  something  of 
great  importance  had  either  happened  or  was 

79 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

about  to  occur,  and  every  sense  within  her  was 
awake  the  next  second  and  on  the  alert. 

"Why,  Stephen,"  she  said,  "what  on  earth  has 
happened  ?" 

"Well,  nothin'  hez  happened  an'  then  ergain 
there  hez,"  was  the  reply. 

"For  the  land's  sake,  Stephen,  don't  go  beatin' 
'round  ther  bush  that  way.  What's  ther  matter  ? 
Lost  any  money,  er  what  ?" 

"No,  I  ain't  lost  nothin'  ner  likely  to,  'cept 
ther  sleep  I'm  losin'  now,  but  I  hed  er  talk  with 
Ed  Locke  ternight.  He's  been  settin'  up  with 
Elinor  more  or  less  an'  I  thought  I'd  bring 
things  to  er  head." 

"Good  Lord,  Stephen,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Day, 
"you  hain't  been  an'  put  yer  finger  in  that  pie, 
liev  yer  ?  WTiat  on  earth  did  yer  do  er  say  ?" 

"Well,  now,  Sarah,  don't  go  gittin'  yer  dander 
,up;  keep  quiet  an'  listen,  an'  I'll  tell  yer  jist 
what  happened.  I  told  him  that  in  my  opinion 
he  wuz  er  condemned  fool  ter  be  er  thinkin'  er- 
bout  goin'  up  ter  ther  Westward  fer  work,  when, 
he  hed  er  good  farm  that  some  day  would  be  his. 
But  he  declared  he  wuz  er  goin',  an'  finally,  ter 
make  er  long  story  short,  I  told  him  he  could 

80 


STILLMAN    GOTT 

either  stop  on  ther  farm  er  else  he  needn't  come 
here  any  more  till  he  wuz  earin'  ernuff  ter  sup 
port  er  wife.  He  talked  er  lot,  an'  Elinor,  she 
cried  an'  took  on  some,  but  I  held  right  to  it,  an' 
told  him  that  he  could  quit  fer  er  while,  an' 
what's  more,  I  told  'em  they  couldn't  write  to 
each  other  neither.  So  that  ends  that  fer  er 
while  unless  I  miss  my  guess." 

"Well,  Stephen,  all  I've  got  ter  say  is  that 
you've  done  well  ez  fur  ez  you've  gone.  I'm 
plain  ter  say  that  ther  more  er  man  mixes  in  er 
mess  uv  that  sort  gen'rally  ther  wuss  he  makes 
it.  But  yer  ort  ter  hev  gone  further.  Yer  ort 
ter  hev  told  him  that  he  couldn't  never  hev  her." 

"Why,  Sarah,"  replied  the  surprised  husband, 
"seems  ter  me  that's  goin'  quite  er  ways.  While 
I  think  he's  er  dumb  fool  ter  be  goin'  erway, 
still,  uv  course,  he  may  strike  it  all  right,  and 
p'raps  some  time  be  earnin'  ez  much  ez  er  thou 
sand  dollars  er  year.  But  it's  takin'  er  big 
chanct.  He  can  stay  home  on  ther  farm  an'  some 
fine  day  he'll  hev  it.  Josiah  Locke  owns  that 
farm  free  and  clear,  an'  he's  got  good  buildin's, 
an*  it's  well  stocked.  Shouldn't  be  surprised  ef 
Josiah  hed  some  money  in  ther  bank.  He  goes 

81 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

up  ter  Ellsworth  erbout  ev'ry  year,  an'  ez  fur  ez 
I  can  find  out  nobuddy  knows  what  he  goes  fer. 
Bill  Bowden  asked  him  oncet  what  took  him  up 
there,  an'  he  grinned  an'  sed  his  hoss,  an'  Bill 
shet  up.  But  ain't  yer  goin'  er  leetle  fer  when 
yer  say  he  can't  hev  her  noways?" 

"No,  I  ain't,  not  one  mite  too  fer,"  said  Mrs. 
Day,  as  she  sat  up  in  bed.  "Now,  listen  ter  ev'ry 
word  I  say.  I  wouldn't  let  Elinor  hev  ther  best 
man  in  Bartlett,  not  even  George  Stover,  an'  his 
father  keeps  ther  best  store  in  the  village  and 
owns  shares  in  three  or  four  vessels.  She's  goin' 
ter  marry  some  one  what  can  take  her  right 
away  frum  Bartlett  an'  off'n  er  farm,  an'  let  her 
live  in  er  city  ef  'taint  bigger'n  Ellsworth.  She's 
ther  only  one  we've  got  left,  an'  all  ther  other 
girls  hev  married  hard  work  erlong  with  their 
husbands,  an'  she  aint  er  goin'  ter,  ef  I  hev  my 
say.  Now,  I've  spoke  my  mind,  an'  let  that  end 
it.  I'll  take  Elinor  in  hand,  an'  ef  she  thinks 
she  can  hev  her  own  way  an'  make  er  mistake 
uv  er  life,  she'll  find  she's  met  her  come  uppance 
when  she  talks  with  me." 

"Now,  don't  be  ha'sh  with  her,  Sarah,"  pleaded 
the  husband. 

82 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Land  sakes,  Stephen,  anyone  who'd  hear  you 
talk  would  think  I  wuz  mad  with  Elinor.  Fact 
is  young  girls  is  er  parcel  uv  fools  an*  don't  know 
what  they  do  want.  Fust  feller  what  comes 
along  an'  sort  uv  shines  up  to  'em,  they'll  grab 
without  stoppin'  ter  think  it's  er  life  bargain. 
Now,  you  jest  'tend  t'  yer  own  affairs  an'  I'll 
'tend  ter  this  one."  And  Stephen,  realizing  that 
no  matter  what  his  views  might  be  Sarah  Day 
would  have  her  own  way,  turned  over,  and  soon 
after  the  good  man  slept,  while  the  ambitious 
woman  lay  awake  far  into  the  night  planning  out 
her  campaign. 

For  days  after  that  night,  memorable  to  Ste 
phen  Day  for  the  reason  that  it  was  the  first 
time  in  his  married  life  that  his  wife  had  ever 
pushed  him  into  the  background,  the  good 
woman  took  every  occasion  that  presented  itself 
to  picture  the  many  horrors  and  the  few  pleas 
ures  of  married  life,  if  one  was  not  extremely 
careful  in  the  selection  of  a  mate.  To  all  these 
arguments  Elinor  had  listened  respectfully,  al 
though  they  did  not  wholly  coincide  with  her  ro 
mantic  ideas  as  gathered  from  the  many  short 
stories  and  the  few  books  that  she  had  read.  But 

83 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

when  one  day  her  mother  in  that  morning's 
dissertation  particularized  and  got  down  to  Ed 
ward  and  Elinor,  the  daughter  plucked  up  her 
courage  and  began  to  remonstrate. 

"But,  mother,"  she  said,  "I  couldn't  marry  a 
man  I  didn't  love,  and  if  I  did  love  him,  money 
or  the  lack  of  it  would  make  no  difference." 

"Now,  Elinor,"  said  Mrs.  Day,  "don't  be  er 
natchrul  born  fool.  There's  er  sayin'  that  when 
poverty  comes  in  ther  door,  love  flies  out  uv  ther 
winder,  an'  I  think  it's  wuss'n  that.  In  my  opin 
ion  ez  soon  ez  poverty  is  seen  er  comin'  up  ther 
road,  love  begins  ter  pack  up.  I  don't  say  that 
ef  yer  wuz  head  over  heels  in  love  with  Ed  Locke 
that  I'd  say  you  shouldn't  marry  him.  You 
know  I  wouldn't  want  ter  cause  yer  any  sorrer  er 
break  yer  heart;  but  you  don't  love  him  yet, 
judgin'  frum  what  yer  hev  told  me,  an'  ef  yer 
know  which  side  yer  bread's  buttered  on,  yer 
won't  neither.  Keep  on  bein'  friends  with  him, 
but  don't  go  any  farther.  'Mister  Eight'  will 
come  along  some  fine  day,  an'  then  you  can  go 
ter  lovin'  him  ez  soon  ez  yer  hev  er  mind  ter. 
But  before  you  go  ter  thinkin'  much  uv  him,  jest 
look  eround  er  little  an'  find  out  what  he  does 

84 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

fer  er  livin',  an'  whether  he's  likely  ter  be  er 
good  provider." 

And  thus  she  instilled  into  her  daughter's 
mind  the  advantages  of  looking  upon  love  and 
marriage  as  a  business  matter  rather  than  an 
emotion  that  one  can  neither  create  nor  control. 

If  Elinor  had  been  in  love  with  Edward,  all 
these  arguments  would  have  fallen  upon  deaf 
ears.  But  while  she  did  not  agree  with  her 
mother,  yet  she  listened  and  remembered  all  that 
was  said  to  her,  and  determined  to  wait  until 
she  was  obliged  to  decide  the  question  for  herself. 


CHAPTER 
EIGHT 

Among  the  early  arrivals  at  the  small  hotel  in 
the  village  of  Bartlett  that  summer  was  Henry 
Davenport.  He  had  lived  in  the  city  of  New 
York  ever  since  his  birth,  and  had  had  all  the  ad 
vantages  that  money  and  social  position  could 
give  him. 

Graduating  from  college,  he  had  studied  law 
at  odd  intervals  and  worked  enough  hours  each 
week  over  his  books  to  convince  himself  that  he 
was  a  diligent  student,  although  in  the  opinion 
of  every  other  person  connected  with  the  office 
in  which  he  daily  hung  up  his  hat  he  was  the 
veriest  loafer. 

To  one  who  appreciates  the  vast  amount  of 
study  required  to  obtain  even  the  slightest  knowl 
edge  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  law,  to  a 
person  realizing  that  the  study  of  law  by  one 
who  desires  to  make  it  his  profession  never 

86 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ceases,  the  work  done  by  Henry  Davenport  would 
have  appeared  like  that  of  a  person  wading  into 
the  water  up  to  his  ankles  and  thinking  he  had 
begun  crossing  the  ocean.  ""•.;.„.;*. 

Naturally  bright  and  far  from  lazy,  the  knowl 
edge  that  some  day  he  would  inherit  a  part  of  the 
vast  fortune  snatched  by  his  father  out  of  Wall 
street  kept  him  from  close  application  to  any 
thing  except  the, enjoyment  of  all  the  good  things 
around  him. 

He  studied  law  only  when  he  could  think  of 
nothing  else  to  do,  and,  being  a  student  in  the 
office  of  his  father's  attorney,  that  circumstance 
kept  him  from  knowing  any  of  the  unfavorable 
comments  made  in  regard  to  the  hours  that  he 
wasted,  even  when  he  deigned  to  visit  the  office 
at  all.  Having  taken  up  the  study  of  law  because 
it  was  the  duty  of  every  man  to  have  some  occu 
pation,  and  not  because  he  loved  it  or  was  even 
attracted  by  it,  he  made  himself  believe  when  the 
warm  days  of  summer  arrived  that  he  was  men 
tally  exhausted  and  needed  rest.  He  had  come 
to  Bartlett,  not  because  he  sought  a  place  of  re 
pose,  but  because  the  fishing  and  boating  were  of 
the  best  and  the  hotel  first-class. 

87 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

While  driving  on  one  occasion  along  the  coun 
try  road  that  went  by  the  farm  of  Stephen  Day, 
he  had  stopped  at  the  house  for  a  glass  of  water. 
Elinor  had  handed  it  to  him,  and  he  had  heen  at 
tracted  by  her  sweet  face,  the  mass  of  golden  hair 
that  surmounted  it,  and  the  innocence  of  her 
manner  that  was  so  much  in  her  favor  when 
compared  with  the  ways  of  the  young  women 
whom  he  was  accustomed  to  meet  in  New  York. 

He  had  previously  been  so  much  engrossed  in 
seeking  enjoyment  in  other  ways  that,  while  he 
had  met  many  women  whom  he  had  enjoyed  talk 
ing  and  dancing  with,  each  in  turn  had  passed 
out  of  mind  as  she  had  passed  out  of  his  sight. 
But  this  girl  was  different.  She  attracted  him 
in  some  manner  that  he  could  not  describe,  and 
he  determined  to  know  her,  and  to  know  her 
well.  A  little  skilful  engineering  on  his  part 
brought  about  an  introduction,  and  from  that 
moment  Henry  Davenport  was  constantly  in  at 
tendance  upon  Elinor. 

At  first  she  looked  upon  the  acquaintance  as 
similar  to  many  others  made  under  the  same  cir 
cumstances,  made  in  the  summer,  to  be  forgotten 
in  the  autumn.  But,  as  his  attentions  became 

88 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

more  marked,  as  he  showed  by  his  manner  that 
he  was  attracted  by  her,  she  was  at  first  flattered, 
and  then  attracted  to  him. 

One  afternoon  they  were  sitting  on  the  rocks 
down  on  the  shore  of  the  bay  at  the  foot  of  her 
father's  farm,  when  suddenly  Davenport  began 
speaking  of  himself  and  his  home  in  New  York. 
He  told  her  of  the  aimless  life  he  had  led,  and, 
while  claiming  that  he  had  never  committed  any 
act  that  had  in  any  way  injured  the  good  name 
of  his  parents,  admitted  that  he  had  never  had 
any  purpose  in  life  other  than  seeking  his  own 
amusement. 

"And  now,"  he  concluded,  "for  the  first  time  I 
have  an  object  in  life,  something  to  make  me 
want  to  bring  out  all  that  is  best  in  me.  And 
you,  Elinor,  are  the  person  who  has  brought 
about  this  great  change.  It  is  my  love  for  you 
that  has  made  me  a  different  man.  I  have  never 
seen  a  woman  before  that  I  cared  for,  but  I  know 
that  I  love  you,  and  if  you  care  enough  for  me 
to  become  my  wife  you  will  make  me  very  happy. 
Perhaps  I  should  have  spoken  to  your  father  and 
obtained  his  consent  first,  but  I  could  not  wait 
for  that,  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  tell 

89 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

you  how  much  you  are  to  me,  how  much  I  love 
you.    Elinor,  will  you  be  my  wife '?" 

"Oh,  why  should  you  have  asked  me  such  a 
question?"  said  Elinor.  "Certainly  you  have 
known,  me  but  a  very  short  time,  and  you  can't 
know  anything  in  regard  to  me.  It  seems  un 
reasonable  to  me  for  you  to  want  a  person  to  be 
your  wife  whom  you  practically  know  nothing 
about.  You  know  nothing  of  my  people,  and 
you  know  nothing  about  my  ways;  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  I  know  nothing  about  your  people, 
and  nothing  about  you  except  as  you  have  told 
me,  and  therefore  I  am  equally  ignorant  in  re 
gard  to  you.  It  would  be  different  if  we  had 
known  each  other  a  long  while;  but  once  prom 
ised  to  you,  or  once  married  to  you,  then  there 
is  no  going  back,  even  though  we  find  that  we 
have  made  the  worst  possible  mistake  we  could 
have  made.  You  may  have  a  disposition  utterly 
unsuited  to  mine ;  it  might  prove  when  it  was  too 
late  to  correct  the  mistake  that  either  could  have 
been  happy  with  some  one  else,  but  that  we  never 
could  be  happy  with  each  other.  It  doesn't  seem 
to  me  we  have  known  each  other  long  enough.  I 
will  be  perfectly  frank  with  you;  I  have  been  at- 

90 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

tracted  toward  you,  but  I  don't  love  you,  and 
therefore,  if  you  insist  upon  my  giving  you  my 
final  answer  today,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  say  no." 

And  then  the  young  man,  greatly  surprised  at 
being  refused  anything  that  he  wanted,  for  cer 
tainly  during  his  brief  and  uneventful  career  it 
had  never  happened  before,  pleaded  with  the  girl 
not  to  give  him  her  final  answer  then,  but  at  least 
to  think  it  over,  and  he  would  call  at  her  home 
for  his  answer  later,  or,  perhaps  what  would  be 
less  embarrassing  for  them  both,  they  could  meet 
at  the  same  place  where  'they  went  almost  daily, 
and  he  would  keep  silent  until  she  was  ready  to 
give  him  an  answer  which  he  agreed  he  would 
accept  as  final.  And  then  dropping  the  subject 
which  was  uppermost  in  his  mind,  for  he  was 
bright  enough  to  see  that  it  would  be  worse  than 
useless  to  press  the  question  any  further,  he  be 
gan  to  talk  of  other  matters,  and  for  an  hour 
pictured  to  her  the  delights  of  a  life  in  New 
York  city,  where  life,  from  his  standpoint  and 
as  he  had  seen  it,  was  one  roundelay  of  pleasure 
and  enjo3<ment. 

They  walked  through  the  field  to  the  door  of 
her  home,  he  still  picturing  life  in  the  great  city. 

91 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

As  she  entered  the  house,  Mrs.  Day  met  her  and 
taking  her  by  the  arm  walked  into  the  front 
room.  It  was  very  apparent  that  the  ambitious 
mother  had  seen  them  coming  and  was  anxious 
to  learn  what  they  had  been  talking  about,  but 
before  she  could  ask  the  question  Elinor  burst 
into  tears,  and  sobbed  as  though  her  heart  would 
break.  The  surprised  mother  led  her  gently  over 
to  the  sofa,  and  placing  her  daughter's  head  upon 
her  shoulder,  patted  and  comforted  her  until  the 
tears  had  ceased,  and  then  her  curiosity  got  the 
better  of  her,  and  she  asked: 

"Now,  Elinor,  what  on  earth's  ther  matter  with 
yer?" 

"Oh,  mother,"  replied  the  girl,  "why  is  it  that 
I  can't  have  a  friend  without  his  making  love  to 
me?" 

"Do  you  mean  ter  tell  me,"  asked  the  aston 
ished  mother,  "that  that  New  York  feller  hez 
been  makin'  love  ter  you?" 

"Yes,  he  has,  and  I  wish  he  had  done  nothing 
of  the  kind.  I  don't  know  him,  and  I  know  noth 
ing  about  him  except  what  I  have  seen  of  him 
since  he  came  to  the  village  this  summer.  He 
appears  very  nice,  pleasant,  and  gentlemanly,  but 

92 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

I  do  not  know  what  he  is,  or  who  he  is,  other 
than  what  he  tells  me.  As  if  I  wanted  to  be 
more  miserable  than  I  am,  he  has  asked  me  to 
marry  him,  and  I  don't  know  what  to  do." 

"Elinor  Day,"  replied  Mrs.  Day,  "ef  you  hed 
'n  ounce  uv  brains  you  would  know  what  ter  do 
without  askin'  me.  I  tell  yer,  you  hev  him  an' 
hev  him  quick,  too.  Since  he  hez  been  hangin' 
'round  yer,  an'  I  sh'd  judge  he  hed  been  ever 
since  he  first  met  yer,  I  wrote  yer  uncle  Samuel 
down  in  New  York  City  an'  asked  him  ter  find 
out  what  he  could  erbout  this  young  feller's  fam 
ily,  an'  I  got  er  letter  terday,  after  yer'd  left  the 
house,  sayin'  that  his  father  was  wuth  millions, 
and  that  ther  son  would  hev  all  ther  money  when 
his  father  died.  Samuel  sed  that  ez  fur  ez  he  hed 
learned  ther  son  didn't  amount  ter  very  much  ez 
fur  ez  business  was  concerned,  but  he  guessed  he 
wuz  er  harmless,  good-natured  sort  uv  er  feller 
who  never  done  nobuddy  no  harm.  Now  ef  his 
father  hez  one-hundredth  part  uv  ther  money 
that  they  say  he  hez,  you'll  never  hev  ter  do 
nothin'  all  day  long  but  set  'round  an'  be  er  lady 
an'  ride  in  yer  own  carriage,  an'  you  won't  hev 
any  work  ter  do  ez  long  ez  yer  live." 

93 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"But  I  don't  want  to  marry  him  because  he  has 
got  money,"  pleaded  the  girl,  "and  I  don't  know 
whether  I  love  him  or  not.  All  I  know  is  that  I 
have  met  him  a  number  of  times,  he  has  treated 
me  pleasantly  and  been  a  gentleman;  other  than 
that  I  don't  know.  How  can  I  say  I  will  marry 
him?  How  can  I  say  I  will  be  a  wife  to  a  man, 
who,  for  aught  I  know,  will  make  me  perfectly 
miserable,  and  I  make  him  unhappy  ?" 

"Now,  look  here,  Elinor,"  said  the  mother, 
"you  set  right  up  an'  look  at  me,  an'  listen  ter 
what  I'm  goin'  ter  say  ter  yer,  an'  remember  it 
tcr  yer  dyin'  day.  You've  been  readin'  those 
flummerdiddle  stories  about  love  an'  all  that  sort 
uv  thing  until  you've  got  ther  idee  in  yer  head 
that  some  great  thing  hez  got  ter  happen  to  yer. 
Now,  ef  you  wuz  thinkin'  uv  anybuddy  else  but 
yerself,  you  would  see  yer  duty  by  yer  father  an' 
mother,  an'  marry  this  feller.  We  don't  owe  no- 
buddy  ner  nothin',  but  at  the  same  time,  when 
yer  father  gets  so  old  he  can't  work,  what  do  yer 
suppose  is  goin'  ter  become  uv  us  ?  Ef  we  hev  ter 
hire  er  man  it  will  simply  mean  we  shall  run  in 
debt.  Then  ther  place  '11  be  mortgaged,  and  ther 
next  thing  you  know  we'll  lose  ther  farm;  then 

94 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

there  aint  nothin'  but  ther  poorhouse  starin'  us 
in  ther  face.  Nice  thing,  aint  it,  ter  happen  ter 
yer  father  an'  me  jest  because  yer  won't  act  like 
er  sensible  girl  an'  do  ez  I  want  yer  to?  An' 
what  do  yer  think  would  become  uv  you,  for  yer 
couldn't  earn  yer  own  livin' — much  ez  ever  any- 
buddy  can  earn  their  livin'  nowadays. 

"Ez  for  yer  brothers  an'  sisters,  they  hev  got 
their  han's  full  now  without  any  more  dependin' 
on  'em.  I  suppose  uv  course  some  one  of  'em 
would  take  yer  father  in,  an'  some  other  one 
would  take  me  in,  and  you  could  go  an'  live  with 
the  third  an'  help  keep  house.  Now,  this  aint 
what  I've  looked  forward  to,  an'  it  ain't  treatin' 
us  decent  when  we  hev  done  so  much  fer  you. 
Ef  yer  marry  this  feller  an'  ef  anythin'  should 
happen  ter  us,  he  could  always  go  inter  his  pocket 
an'  help  us,  an'  he  wouldn't  feel  it  more  then  er 
flea  bite.  It  seems  ter  me  that  yer  owe  yer  father 
an'  mother  somethin'  ef  yer  don't  care  nothin' 
erbout  yerself.  Ef  yer  only  knew  it,  you're  ther 
luckiest  girl  that  ever  lived  in  Ba/rtlett,  an'  ther 
chance  you've  got  is  ther  chance  uv  or  lifetime. 
There  aint  another  girl  in  this  town  but  what 
would  jump  at  that  feller  so  quick  that  it  would 

95 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

make  his  head  swim. 

"Uv  course  you  can  do  ez  yer  please,  but  there 
aint  no  reason  in  ther  Lord's  world  why  yer  can't 
be  happy  with  this  young  man.  I  hev  seen  more 
of  the  world  than  you  hev,  an'  I  hev  jest  made 
up  my  mind  that  yer  can  be  happy  with  a  man 
who  has  got  plenty  uv  money  an'  can  give  yer  er 
good  home,  even  ef  yer  don't  care  so  much  fer 
him  ez  yer  do  fer  er  man  what  aint  got  nothin', 
an'  is  always  tellin'  yer  how  much  he  thinks  uv 
yer.  You'll  find,  as  plenty  uv  other  people  he" 
found,  that  ez  soon  ez  ther  new  wears  off  that  it 
is  jest  er  question  uv  dollars  an'  cents  who  yer 
hev,  ez  long  ez  he's  decent.  It  won't  do  yer  no 
good  ter  go  an'  talk  with  yer  father  about  this 
matter,  because  me  an'  him  hev  talked  about  it 
an'  Tm  runnin'  ther  whole  thing.  He  hez  got 
some  of  ther  highfalutin  notions  that  you  hev, 
but  I  can't  see  that  they  hev  done  him  any  good. 
Ther  other  girls  an'  boys  got  married,  an'  I  sed 
nothin'  but  jest  let  them  hev  their  own  way,  an' 
while  they  haint  sed  nothin'  about  it,  I  hevn't 
any  doubt  but  what  they  are  doin'  jest  the  same 
ez  more  than  half  the  people  in  this  world  who  are 
married  are  doin' — wishin'  their  cake  wuz  dough. 

96 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Uv  course  no  matter  what  yer  do,  it  won't 
make  no  difference  ter  yer  father  an'  me,  in  one 
sense.  There  aint  goin'  ter  be  no  threat'nin'  ner 
nothin'  uv  ther  kind.  You  will  hev  er  home  jest 
the  same  ez  ever,  but  ef  yer  cared  er  snap  uv  yer 
fingers  for  us,  an'  if  yer  wanted  ter  pay  back 
ther  things  we  hev  done  fer  you,  now's  yer 
chance.  Now,  jest  think  it  over,  an'  be  er  sensi 
ble  girl  an'  not  act  like  er  fool,  ez  most  girls  do 
'bout  such  things.  There,  I  hev  spoke  my  mind, 
an'  I  aint  goin'  ter  say  no  more  t'  yer,  but  I  con 
sider  my  judgment  is  er  good  deal  better  than 
yours,"  and  then  having  talked  longer  and  plain 
er  with  her  daughter  than  she  had  ever  done  be 
fore  in  her  life,  Mrs.  Day  returned  to  the  kitchen 
and  went  about  performing  her  household  duties 
with  a  heightened  color  and  a  briskness  of  move 
ment  which  portended  calamity  to  anyone  cross 
ing  her  path  while  she  remained  in  her  present 
state  of  mind. 

The  mother  unconsciously  had  pierced  the  only 
weak  point  in  the  girl's  armor.  If  Elinor  had 
consulted  only  her  own  wishes  she  would  have 
told  Davenport  that  she  never  could  marry  him, 
and  if  he  had  pressed  her  for  a  reason,  her  an- 

97 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

swer  would  have  been  that  while  she  did  not  care 
enough  for  any  man  whom  she  knew  to  say  she 
loved  him,  yet  there  was  at  least  one  person  for 
whom  she  had  a  greater  admiration  and  affection, 
and  who  stood  nearer  and  dearer  to  her  than  any 
one  else,  and  that  for  that  reason,  if  for  no  other, 
there  would  be  no  use  in  his  ever  dreaming  that 
she  could  learn  to  care  enough  for  him  to  be  his 
wife.  But  she  had  realized  for  some  time  that 
her  father  and  mother  were  getting  old;  they 
were  slowly  but  surely  going  down  the  hill  of 
life,  and  each  year  brought  additional  cares  and 
less  strength  and  less  vigor  to  endure  them.  Her 
brothers,  as  her  mother  had  said,  were  earning 
"a  good  living,"  and  having  all  settled  in  one 
section  of  the  country,  and  all  the  sons  being 
farmers  or  fishermen,  and  the  daughters  having 
married  men  who  followed  one  or  the  other  of 
the  same  callings,  they  could  offer  at  the  most  a 
home  for  either  of  their  parents  if  the  necessity 
should  ever  arise;  and  the  parents  accepting  the 
offer  would  have  realized,  as  well  as  themselves, 
that  an  additional  burden  had  been  placed  upon 
shoulders  which  were  then  carrying  all  they  could 
support.  It  would  have  been  impossible  for  the 

98 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

girl  with  her  natural  sincerity  and  honesty  to 
have  accepted  Davenport  if  she  had  really  loved 
Edward,  but  feeling  that  she  did  not,  and  with 
the  great  feeling  of  love  which  she  had  for  her 
parents,  and  being  to  a  certain  extent  convinced 
by  her  mother's  specious  argument,  that  night 
before  she  went  to  sleep  she  decided  that  she 
would  accept  him,  and  trust  that  her  mother's 
prophecy  of  learning  to  love  after  marriage  was 
a  correct  one. 


CHAPTER 
NINE 

And  so  the  day  came  when  again  seated  on  the 
rocks  looking  out  over  the  sea,  she  turned  to  him 
and  said: 

"I  have  decided  to  give  you  your  answer  today. 
I  am  going  to  be  perfectly  honest  with  you,  and 
if,  after  I  have  finished,  you  wish  to  retract  what 
you  have  already  said,  believe  me  when  I  say 
that  it  will  hurt  neither  my  feelings  nor  my 
pride.  I  do  not  love  you,  as  I  have  told  you  be 
fore,  and  I  do  not  know  as  I  ever  can,  but  I  pre 
sume  there  are  many  men  and  women  in  the 
world  who  do  not  love  one  another,  either  be 
cause  they  are  not  capable  of  any  such  feelings, 
or  because  the  one  to  whom  they  are  mated  has 
never  inspired  it.  I  am  willing  to  be  your  wife 
on  that  understanding  and  that  understanding 
alone.  You  must  take  the  risk  that  I  may  never 
love  you,  but  I  can  certainly  assure  you  that  I 

100 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

will  be  true  to  you  and  will  be  as  good  a  wife  to 
you  as  I  have  tried  to  be  a  daughter  to  my 
parents,  and  I  accept  your  offer  more  for  their 
sake  than  for  my  own. 

"My  father  and  mother  are  getting  old,  and 
the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  neither  of  them 
will  be  able  to  work  as  they  have  done  since  they 
were  young,  when  some  one  of  their  family  must 
take  them  and  care  for  them,  make  their  last 
days  pleasant  and  easy  for  them.  I  am  the  one 
to  whom  they  look  at  the  present  time  for  that 
future  aid.  I  will  marry  you  upon  your  solemn 
promise  that  you  will  be  as  good  to  them  as  I 
know  you  intend  to  be  to  me,  and  I  ask  you  still 
more. 

"If  the  time  should  ever  come  when  it  is  a 
question  whether  you  are  to  be  good  and  kind  to 
them  or  to  me,  then  first  think  of  them  and  put 
me  one  side.  I  am  young  and  shall  be  able  to 
bear  sorrow  or  disappointment  better  than  they. 
Their  life,  up  to  the  present  time,  has  been  one 
constant  striving  to  make  both  ends  meet,  seeing 
each  day  begin  as  the  previous  one  has  ended, 
and  no  hope  of  anything  better  than  an  honest 
life  and  the  power  to  pay  their  debts ;  if  the  time 

101 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

should  ever  come  when  that  ability  was  taken 
away  from  them  and  they  found  themselves 
obliged  to  ask  those  whom  they  owe  to  wait;  if 
the  time  should  ever  come  when  they  knew  not 
whence  the  next  dollar  was  coming,  then  I  ask 
you  to  help  and  assist  them  as  you  would  want 
your  own  father  and  mother  to  be  assisted  if  they 
were  in  the  same  position,  and  I  ask  you  to  do  it 
for  them  with  the  same  kindly  spirit  that  I  be 
lieve  you  would  do  it  for  your  own  parents,  know 
ing  that  I  would  be  more  grateful  to  you  for 
what  you  did  for  them  than  for  anything  which 
you  could  possibly  do  for  me.  And  if  ever  I 
should  learn  to  love  you  it  will  be  more  because 
you  loved  them  than  because  you  loved  me.  You 
see  I  am  not  giving  you  much;  really,  I  am  giv 
ing  you  nothing  in  return  for  all  that  you  are 
offering  to  me,  but  if  you  wish  to  take  me  as  I 
am  and  as  I  feel  towards  you,  and  if  you  wish  to 
take  the  great  risk  which  exists  at  the  present 
time,  trusting  to  the  future  to  possibly  make  me 
care  for  you,  then  I  am  willing  to  marry  you,  and 
my  answer  is  yes." 

And  he,  knowing  that  the  mere  matter  of  dol 
lars  and  cents  would  make  no  difference  to  him, 

102 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

realizing  that  if  the  time  should  come  when  he 
would  be  obliged  to  assist  her  parents,  that  the 
few  paltry  dollars  which  might  relieve  their  dis 
tress  or  anxiety  would  never  be  noticed  by  him 
more  than  the  fall  of  a  single  drop  of  water  on 
a  desert  of  sand,  gladly  accepted  the  little  which 
she  offered,  and  told  her  that  she  had  made  him 
very  happy,  and  that  he  would  give  her  anything 
which  she  asked  for,  and  more  too;  that  when 
they  were  married  and  had  a  home  of  their  own 
he  would  be  only  too  glad  to  have  her  parents 
give  up  their  farm  and  come  to  live  with  them, 
if  it  would  make  them  or  her  one  whit  happier. 

They  walked  home  through  the  fields,  he  filled 
with  a  certain  new  dignity  and  superiority  that 
he  did  not  understand,  and  she  wondering  if  in 
doing  her  duty  by  her  parents  she  would  be  hap 
py  even  though  she  was  not  in  love  with  him. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  house,  she  invited 
him  in  with  a  certain  air  of  sweet  proprietorship, 
and  he  accepted  the  invitation  with  an  alacrity, 
common  to  men  in  his  frame  of  mind. 

While  he  sat  in  the  "front  room"  and  read  the 
names  and  dates  of  death  of  the  Day  family  who 
had  departed  from  this  vale  of  tears,  as  told  by 

103 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  silver  plates  surrounded  by  wax  wreaths  in 
elaborate  black  walnut  frames  suspended  on  the 
wall,  examined  all  the  treasures  arranged  on  the 
"what-not,"  and  shuddered  over  the  "chamber  of 
horrors,"  perpetrated  by  the  village  photogra 
pher  and  gathered  together  in  the  family  album, 
Elinor  was  "setting  the  table"  in  the  dining 
room,  and  Mr.  Day  was  being  pushed  into  his 
Sunday  clothes  by  the  pleased  mother  for  pres 
entation  to  the  future  son-in-law. 

Most  young  men  under  ordinary  circumstances 
would  have  looked  forward  to  the  introduction 
with  more  or  less  embarrassment,  and  probably 
Davenport  at  other  times  would  have  been  af 
fected  in  a  like  manner,  but  he  was  in  love,  or  at 
least  he  thought  he  was,  and  that  form  of  insanity 
knows  no  fear. 

The  door  opened,  and  the  family  entered; 
Elinor  blushing  and  smiling,  "mother"  flushed 
with  the  excitement  arising  from  such  an  event, 
and  the  labor  of  getting  her  husband  into  a  pre 
sentable  condition,  and  "father"  suffering  from 
the  horrors  of  a  white  shirt,  a  new  paper  collar 
and  tie,  and,  like  a  lamb  led  to  the  slaughter, 
opening  not  his  mouth. 

104 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Elinor  introduced  her  lover  to  her  mother  and 
father,  and  sat  down.  "The  meeting  was  open." 
For  a  few  moments  not  a  word  was  spoken,  and 
the  buzzing  of  the  few  flies  imprisoned  between 
the  green  paper  curtains  and  the  windows  sound 
ed  to  Davenport  louder  than  the  roar  of  a  boiler 
factory  full  of  orders  and  behind  time. 

It  was  necessary  for  him  to  speak,  however, 
and  in  a  few  modest  words  he  told  Elinor's  father 
and  mother  of  the  great  event  that  had  occurred 
that  memorable  afternoon,  explained  to  them 
who  he  was,  the  financial  standing  of  his  father, 
and  concluded  by  respectfully  asking  their  con 
sent  to  the  marriage  of  their  daughter  and  him 
self. 

Mrs.  Day  had  nodded  a  pleased  acquiescence 
as  the  young  man  had  spoken  of  the  wealth  and 
standing  of  his  parents,  and,  as  he  concluded, 
turned  to  her  husband  with  a  look  that  told  him 
what  to  say  in  reply.  The  honest  old  man  took 
another  look  at  his  wife  in  order  to  be  certain  he 
was  not  about  to  make  a  mistake,  and,  being  as 
sured  by  the  second  encouraging  nod,  replied 
that  he  "guessed  if  Elinor  and  her  mother  had 
no  objections,  he  had  none.  Young  people  gen- 

105 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

erally  had  their  way  about  such  things,  and,  as 
the  young  man  had  told  them  all  about  himself, 
he  supposed  it  was  all  right." 

And  then  Mrs.  Day  said  supper  was  ready,  and 
the  party  filed  out  to  the  dining  room  and  pro 
ceeded  to  enjoy  the  meal  according  to  their  re 
spective  frames  of  mind.  Mrs.  Day  was  occupied 
in  seeing  that  Davenport  had  a  bit  of  everything, 
in  order  that  he  might  realize  what  a  famous 
cook  she  was,  and  Mr.  Day,  having  had  the  dis 
ease  and  being  immune,  simply  munched  his  food 
as  usual. 

The  following  Sunday  Davenport  attended  the 
village  church  with  Elinor,  sat  in  the  family  pew, 
held  the  same  hymn  book,  and  returned  to  the 
farm  of  Mr.  Day  for  dinner.  Consequently,  the 
engagement  was  as  formally  announced  as 
though  it  had  been  published  in  the  county  paper. 

For  when  in  the  history  of  Bartlett  had  a 
young  man  ever  gone  to  church  and  sat  in  the 
same  pew  with  a  girl  unless  he  was  "setting  up" 
with  her?  And  once  started  to  such  an  extent, 
never  in  the  whole  romantic  history  of  Bartlett 
had  there  ever  been  a  turning  back  in  the  course 
of  love. 

106 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

'There  may  have  been  in  the  mind  of  Elinor 
Day  a  thought  of  Edward,  the  question  of  how 
he  would  feel,  of  his  sorrow  and  unhappiness 
when  he  heard  the  ne\^s,  but  she  argued  herself 
into  believing  that  she  owed  a  greater  duty  to 
her  parents  than  she  did  to  him  or  even  to  her 
self,  and  that  even  if  she  was  making  a  mistake 
it  was  better  that  she  should  be  unhappy  in  her 
future  life  rather  than  the  good  father  and 
mother  who  had  done  so  much  for  her. 

She  made  herself  believe  that  if  she  had  mar 
ried  Edward  she  would  have  made  him  unhappy, 
and  that,  therefore,  she  had  been  very  wise  in 
giving  him  up  and  choosing  another,  and  very  un 
selfish  in  what  she  had  done. 

Most  of  the  things  that  we  believe  to  be  acts  of 
unselfishness  are  really  done  to  please  ourselves. 
And  while  they  may  involve  some  sacrifice,  in  the 
majority  of  cases  the  pleasure  we  obtain  is  great 
er  than  we  would  have  received  if  we  had  done 
otherwise.  And  knowing  and  realizing  that  fact 
in  advance,  as  we  always  do,  unselfishness  in  most 
cases  is  a  lost  virtue,  if  it  ever  existed. 


CHAPTER 
TEN 

"Ignorance  is  bliss,"  and  so  Edward  was  happy 
in  his  new  employment,  and  in  the  thought  that 
every  day  brought  him  nearer  to  the  time  when 
he  could  return  to  Bartlett  and  inform  Mr.  Day 
that  he  was  able  to  give  his  daughter  a  suitable 
home. 

He  had  shown  a  natural  ability  for  newspaper 
work,  and  a  willingness  to  use  all  possible  effort 
to  improve  any  chance  offered  him  by  his  supe 
riors.  The  articles  written  by  him  for  the  paper 
had  already  attracted  the  notice  of  the  editor, 
and  on  one  occasion  the  great  man  had  unbent 
enough  to  say  to  him,  "Mr.  Locke,  I  notice  when 
you  write  a  'story'  for  the  paper,  you  write  a 
story,  and  not  a  mere  cold  statement  of  fact. 
Good  plan.  A  story  is  a  story  and  an  editorial 
is  an  editorial.  The  city  editor  reports  to  me 
that  he  is  pleased  with  your  work.  I  trust  you 
will  keep  on.  There  are  a  good  many  rungs  in 

108 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  ladder  of  fame,  but  they  are  not  very  far 
apart.  Keep  climbing." 

All  this  was  very  pleasant  and  encouraging, 
but  he  could  not  quite  understand  the  letters  of 
Still.  They  told  him  all  the  weekly  news  of 
Bartlett,  and  told  it  in  such  a  bright,  cheery 
way  that  each  letter  was  like  an  oasis  in  a  desert. 
And  yet  the  stretches  of  hot,  dreary  sand  to  be 
travelled  over  between  the  cool  green  spots  were 
very  long  and  very  hard  for  this  young  lover. 

Still  always  mentioned  Elinor  in  his  letters; 
stated  that  "she  was  well,  and  seemed  to  be  en 
joying  herself/'  and  yet  there  was  never  any  lit 
tle  message  that  showed  that  Still  ever  talked 
with  her,  even  spoke  of  him  to  her.  He  felt 
that  he  must  go  to  Bartlett,  see  her  if  only  for 
a  day,  and  have  her  tell  him  that  she  was  still 
waiting  for  him,  still  faithful  to  him.  Finally 
when  he  could  endure  the  suspense  no  longer, 
he  applied  for  a  week's  vacation,  and,  the  favor 
being  granted,  started  for  Bartlett  that  very 
evening. 

As  the  steamer  came  up  to  the  wharf  at  Hard- 
wick  the  next  morning  he  saw  Still  standing  near 
the  small  freight  house  talking  with  the  stage 

109 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

driver.  The  moment  the  gang  plank  was  pushed 
from  the  steamer  to  the  wharf  Edward  leaped 
ashore  and  had  Still  by  the  hand. 

"Saints  an'  sinners !"  ejaculated  Still.  "Ef  this 
ain't  er  sight  fer  sore  eyes.  Well!  well!  well!  I 
declare,  Ed,  ef  I'd  known  you  were  comin',  I 
dunno  but  what  I'd  hed  ther  village  band  out. 
Now  jest  give  yer  trunk  check  ter  Horace  an' 
he'll  take  yer  trunk  over  on  ther  stage,  but  you'll 
ride  with  me.  I  come  over  to  ther  village  fer 
er  few  things,  an'  jest  thought  I'd  come  down  an' 
see  ther  boat  come  in.  Never  dreamed  uv  seem' 
you.  Kinder  funny,  wuzn't  it  ?  Generally  go  up 
ter  Bartlett  village  ter  git  my  stores,  but  some 
how  terday,  thinks  I,  I  guess  I'll  go  over  ter 
Hardwick.  Don't  pay  ter  give  all  yer  trade  ter 
one  store,  yer  know.  Apt  ter  make  ther  store 
keeper  kind  uv  purse  proud,  yer  know,"  he  added, 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "Git  right  in  an'  we'll 
start  erlong.  Hain't  got  so  much  style  ez  Hor 
ace's  stage  an'  mebbe  we'll  be  er  little  slower, 
but  that'll  give  us  more  time  ter  talk  things  over. 
We'll  let  ther  stage  start  fust,  an'  we'll  jog  along 
behind." 

As  soon  as  Edward  had  seen  his  trunk  placed 

110 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

on  the  back  of  the  stage,  and  had  given  the 
driver  instructions  to  deliver  it  at  his  father's 
house  and  inform  his  parents  that  he  would  be 
at  home  shortly,  he  took  a  seat  beside  Still  in 
his  old  buggy,  and  the  old  mare  began  to  trot 
at  a  peddler's  gait  toward  home. 

There  was  no  opportunity  to  ask  Still  any 
questions  in  regard  to  the  matter  that  was  of  so 
much  importance  to  him  until  they  had  got  be 
yond  the  village,  for  every  one  they  met  either 
had  a  word  to  pass  with  Still,  or  was  so  pleased 
and  surprised  to  see  Edward  that  it  would  have 
been  a  crime  to  have  passed  them  without  giving 
some  explanation  of  the  unexpected  visit,  and 
informing  each  one  how  he  was  "getting  along 
in  Boston,"  and  whether  or  not  he  "enjoyed  liv 
ing  in  the  city." 

As  they  climbed  the  long  hill  leading  into 
Hale's  woods,  the  old  mare  slowed  down  into  a 
walk,  and  Edward  had  an  opportunity  to  ask  the 
question  that  had  been  on  his  mind  and  lips  ever 
since  he  had  left  Boston. 

"How's  Elinor,  Still?"  he  asked. 

"Seems  ter  be  all  right,  ez  fer  ez  I  kin  see; 
eatin'  her  three  meals  er  day  regular,  an*  ez 

111 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

happy  ez  er  clam  at  high  water,"  was  the  reply. 

"But,  Still,  what  does  she  say  when  you  see 
her?  I  realize  that  you  don't  see  her  every  day, 
and  that,  of  course,  you  can't  go  out  of  your  way 
to  call  at  the  house,  but  you  naturally  see  her 
every  Sunday  anyway,  and  probably  oftener. 
Don't  you  talk  with  her  when  you  see  her  ?  Don't 
you  or  she  mention  my  name?  Doesn't  she  ever 
speak  of  me  to  you  ?  You  have  never  written  in 
any  of  your  letters  a  word  she  has  said  to  you 
about  me,  or  given  me  any  reason  to  think  you 
ever  see  her.  Now,  tell  me  all  about  it,"  demand 
ed  the  impatient  lover. 

"Now,  you  hold  yer  hosses,  Ed,  and  ez  we  go 
through  the  woods  I'll  tell  yer  the  whole  thing. 
Don't  ask  no  more  questions  till  I  get  through 
talkin',  an'  you'll  git  ther  whole  story.  Let  me 
tell  it  my  own  way,  an'  you'll  know  all  yer  want 
ter.  To  start  with,  Elinor  Day  is  ez  likely  er 
girl  ez  I  know  in  ther  whole  town  uv  Bartlett, 
but  owin'  ter  the  fact  that  other  people  hev  got 
married  besides  her  father  and  mother,  she  ain't 
ther  only  young  woman  in  ther  world  any  more'n 
you  an'  me  are  the  only  men  that's  livin'.  There 
ain't  no  doubt  'n  my  mind  but  what  she  meant 

112 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

what  she  sed  when  she  told  yer  she'd  wait  fer 
yer  when  you  went  up  to  ther  westward.  I  re 
member  when  I  went  ter  school  years  ago  that 
we  hed  er  copy  book  ter  learn  ter  write  frum,  an' 
one  uv  ther  things  in  it  wuz,  'Absence  makes 
ther  heart  grow  fonder.'  In  my  opinion,  ther 
feller  that  got  up  'nother  sayin'  'n  ther  same 
book  hed  er  good  deal  more  hoss  sense,  an'  he 
sed,  'Out  uv  sight,  out  uv  mind.'  Ther  fust  fel 
ler  hed  er  rifle  an'  hit  somethin'  once  in  er  while, 
but  t'other  feller  hed  er  large-bore  shotgun,  an' 
when  he  let  go,  he  brought  'em  down  in  flocks. 
Ed,  y're  one  uv  ther  best  boys  that  ever  grew  up 
in  this  town,  an'  yer  won't  take  ter  drink  er  cut 
yer  throat  at  what  I'm  goin'  ter  tell  yer;  but  if 
I  can  see  through  er  board  when  ther  knot  is 
drove  out,  yer  might  ez  well  reel  up  yer  line  an' 
go  ershore;  fer  Elinor  Day  is  settin'  up  with 
er  feller  frum  ISTew  York  who's  down  here  fer  th' 
summer.  There,  that's  off  my  mind.  I'd  rather 
hev  taken  er  lickin'  than  told  yer,  but  what  wuz 
ther  use  uv  lyin'?  You'd  hev  found  out  ef  I 
hadn't  told  yer,  an'  I  guess  you'd  ruther  I  told 
yer  than  anybody  else." 
The  old  mare  jogged  along  over  the  quiet 

113 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

road,  and  for  a  few  moments  the  only  sounds 
that  broke  the  silence  were  the  songs  of  the 
birds  and  the  dry,  dusty  whirr  of  the  locusts, 
The  road  had  turned  out  of  the  woods  into  the 
open  country,  and  the  bay  lay  before  them,  with 
Sheep  Island  in  the  distance.  As  Still  turned 
to  look  at  Edward,  he  saw  that  his  young  friend 
was  gazing  out  over  the  water,  and  he  wisely 
said  nothing. 

"Still,"  said  Edward,  suddenly  turning  around, 
"I  can't  thank  you  for  what  you  have  said;  no 
one  feels  thankful  for  bad  news,  but  it  had  to 
be  told  to  me,  and  I  am  glad  you  were  the  one 
to  tell  it.  No  other  person  in  the  world  would 
have  known  as  well  as  you  how  I  would  feel;  no 
other  person  would  have  tried  so  hard  to  break 
it  to  me  so  gently,  and  felt  so  badly  in  doing  it. 
Now,  there  is  only  one  more  favor  you  can  do 
me.  Turn  round  and  drive  me  back  to  Hard- 
wick.  I  will  stay  at  the  hotel  there  over  night, 
and  in  the  morning  take  the  steamer  back  to 
Boston.  There  is  nothing  to  keep  me  here  now/' 

"There,"  said  Still,  "that's  jest  like  er  feller 
in  love.  Cur'us  how  hoggish  er  feller  gits  when 
he's  taken  that  way.  Don't  think  uv  nobuddy 

114 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

but  himself.  Hez  an  idee  that  ef  he's  miserable 
that  settles  ther  whole  thing.  Jest  stop  an' 
think  er  minit,  Ed,  before  yer  decide  to  up  an 
chor  an'  clear  out.  There's  er  good  man  over 
on  Bartlett  Neck  that  yer  call  father,  who'll  be 
glad  ter  see  yer,  an',  though  he's  growlin'  all  ther 
time  beeause  yer  don't  like  farmin',  right  down 
in  his  heart  he's  proud  uv  yer  spunk  in  startin' 
fer  yerself.  He  wouldn't  tell  yer  fer  ther  world, 
an'  he'd  say  'twasn't  so  ef  yer  asked  him;  but 
I've  summered  an'  wintered  him  since  we  wuz 
boys,  an'  know  him  root  and  branch,  an'  er  bet 
ter  father  never  broke  bread.  He's  like  er  big 
oak,  rough  bark,  an'  kind  uv  twisted  some  by 
ther  winds  that's  blowed  hard  where  it  growed, 
but  it's  er  good  big  stick,  without  'er  rotten  spot 
in  it. 

"An'  there's  er  woman  over  there  on  ther 
farm,  one  uv  ther  best  in  ther  town  uv  Bartlett, 
who,  erbout  twenty-five  years  ago,  went  down 
ter-  death's  door,  so  near  to  it  that  she  could 
look  through  an'  see  ther  golden  streets  an'  hear 
ther  angels  singin'.  It  wuz  er  beautiful  place, 
an'  she  wuz  tired  an'  wanted  ter  rest.  She  wuz 
jest  steppin'  through,  ready  ter  set  down  with 

115 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

nuthin'  ter  do  after  that  but  praise  ther  Lord, 
when  'way  behind  her  she  heard  er  little  baby's 
voice,  an'  she  turned  back — back  ter  hard  work, 
back  ter  trouble  an'  sorrer,  back  to  that  baby. 
Ain't  she  wuth  goin'  ter  see?  Do  yer  know  uv 
any  girl  that'll  do  that  f  er  yer  ?" 

The  tender  chord  had  been  touched,  and  the 
tears  ran  down  the  young  man's  face.  "I'm  a 
fool  to  give  way  like  this,  Still,"  he  said,  "but  I 
could  not  help  it.  I  have  been  looking  forward 
so  long  to  the  day  when  I  would  see  her  and  hear 
her  voice,  that  when  you  told  me  that  I  had  lost 
her  forever,  it  did  not  seem  to  me  as  though  I 
wanted  to  see  any  one  again  but  strangers.  But 
I  know  now  I  was  wrong  and  selfish.  I  will  be 
a  man  and  act  like  one." 

"That's  ther  talk,"  said  Still,  smilingly,  "now 
y're  gettin'  yer  senses  ergain.  An'  now  that 
yer've  quieted  down  an'  there  ain't  no  signs  uv 
yer  breakin'  out  ergain,  I'm  goin'  ter  tell  yer 
something  that  yer  won't  believe  now,  but  yer 
will  when  yer  get  older.  There's  jest  ez  big 
fish  in  ther  sea  ez  ever  wuz  caught,  an'  I've  no 
ticed  that  generally  they  go  in  schools,  at  that. 
Folks  is  something  like  fish,  anyway.  There's 

116 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ther  kind  that  ain't  no  earthly  use;  what  they 
wuz  made  for  heaven  only  knows,  an'  you  and 
I  can't  find  out.  Them's  sculpins.  In  my  opin 
ion  ther  Almighty  wuz  jokin'  when  he  made  'em. 
"Then  there's  another  kind  that  hangs  eround 
ther  shore,  an'  they're  good  ernuff  ter  feed  to 
ther  hens,  an'  sometimes  ter  eat  when  vittles 
run  kind  uv  short.  Them's  cunners  and  floun 
ders.  Then  there's  ther  kind  yer  ketch  way  out 
in  deep  water,  heavy  an'  logy,  but  lots  uv  livin' 
in  'em.  Good,  substantial  stuff.  Them's  cod 
fish.  But  ther  best  kind  uv  all  is  ther  kind  that's 
not  very  big,  but  full  uv  kinks  an'  life,  an'  when 
yer  git  one  on  yer  line  yer  know  it.  Yer  don't 
always  land  'em  in  ther  boat,  but  when  yer  do, 
yer've  got  something  worth  fishin'  for,  an'  them's 
mackeral.  An'  ther  best  part  uv  it  is  that  there's 
lots  uv  'em  ev'ry  year,  an'  yer  can  allers  ketch 
'em.  Elinor  Day  is  one  uv  ther  last  kind,  anj 
yer  see  yer  thought  you  hed  her  landed,  but  she 
fell  off'n  ther  hook  an'  bit  at  another  bait  an* 
got  ketched.  Yer  stay  round  here  a  while,  rest 
up  an'  see  yer  folks  an'  then  go  back  ter  work. 
Hard  work  an'  lots  uv  it  is  ther  best  medicine 
I  know  uv  fer  trouble.  Some  day  yer'll  run 

117 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ercrost  ernother  girl,  an'  yer'll  fall  in  love  with 
her,  an'  wonder  what  ever  possessed  yer  to  think 
that  when  ther  Lord  got  Elinor  done  he'd  de 
stroyed  ther  pattern.  Yer  don't  believe  what 
I'm  tellin'  yer  now,  an'  I  shan't  try  ter  make  yer. 
But  I've  seen  more  uv  ther  world  than  you  hev, 
an'  hed  more  time  ter  watch  people. 

"Once  in  er  while  yer  see  er  man  er  woman 
that  falls  in  love  only  once  an'  then  forever,  but 
pooty  seldom,  pooty  seldom.  I've  seen  great 
big  men  faint  when  their  wives  wuz  buried,  an' 
hev  ter  be  lugged  home  frum  ther  graveyard, 
an'  be  so  heartbroken,  an'  carry  on  so  that  it 
seemed  ez  though  they  needed  watchers;  but 
they  generally  went  er  huntin'  up  number  two 
so  soon  after,  that  most  uv  ther  neighborhood 
wuz  scandalized,  'cept  ther  old  maids,  an'  they 
wuz,  too,  ez  soon  ez  they  found  out  they  wuzn't 
wanted.  It's  er  desease,  Ed,  that  yer  can  hev 
more'n  once,  an'  ther  second  attack  is  generally 
worse  than  ther  fust.  Here  yer  are  at  yer  home, 
an'  there's  ther  two  best  friends  yer  ever  hed  er 
ever  will  hev — yer  father  an'  mother.  Good-by, 
Ed.  Come  an'  see  me  before  yer  go  back." 

In  one  short  week  Edward  was  again  at  his 

118 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

desk,  and  while  he  found  Still's  prescription, 
hard  work,  a  good  remedy  for  his  disease,  yet  it 
was  not  to  be  supposed  that  a  cure  would  be  ef 
fected  in  a  moment.  He  had  received  a  letter 
from  Elinor  Day  in  which  she  informed  him  that 
she  was  engaged  to  Davenport,  and  wherein  she 
endeavored  to  make  him  believe  that  there  had 
never  been  any  definite  understanding  between 
them,  and  that  she  had  arrived  at  the  conclusion 
that  in  giving  him  up  she  was  doing  the  best  pos 
sible  thing  for  his  future  happiness.  And  he  had 
replied  wishing  her  all  the  happiness  possible, 
yet  feeling  that  he  had  been  treated  unfairly  and 
dishonorably.  He  had  been  tempted  to  write  a 
sharp,  sarcastic  letter  in  reply,  raving  a*bout  the 
power  of  gold  and  making  her  see  that  she  had 
ruined  his  life.  But  on  reflection  he  had  decided 
to  write  the  letter  that  any  good  friend  would 
write  in  reply  to  the  announcement  of  an  engage 
ment.  If  it  had  only  been  a  man  who  had  treated 
him  that  way!  How  he  would  have  enjoyed 
scorching  him  with  a  letter,  and  disarranging 
the  contour  of  his  countenance  the  first  time  they 
met!  But  she  was  a  woman,  and — well,  she  was 
Elinor. 


CHAPTER 
ELEVEN 

The  town  of  Bartlett  had  its  one  rich  man 
as  every  town  has.  There  were  a  number  of  men, 
both  merchants  and  farmers,  who  did  not  owe  a 
cent  in  the  world,  except  possibly  their  monthly 
bills,  and  who  never  had  to  be  asked  twice  to  pay 
an  honest  debt. 

But  the  richest  man,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
meanest,  was  Ehoderick  Friend.  His  father  had 
been  the  owner  of  quite  a  number  of  fishing  ves 
sels  and  "coasters"  in  the  days  when  the  fishing 
business  and  the  coasting  trade  were  at  their 
height,  and  he  had  been  the  only  child,  and  con 
sequently,  when  his  father  died,  the  son  inherited 
all  of  the  property.  He  immediately  sold  all  the 
vessels  and  retired  to  a  small  farm  and  became 
the  money  lender  of  the  town,  and  heaven  help 
the  man  who  ever  got  into  his  clutches,  for  noth- 

120 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ing  but  a  miracle  would  keep  Rhoderick  Friend 
from  sucking  the  life  blood  out  of  his  victim. 
Men  never  went  to  him  but  once.  There  was  no 
occasion  to,  for  they  had  nothing  to  borrow  upon 
after  the  first  meeting. 

The  moment  that  Khoderick  Friend  learned 
that  one  of  his  intended  victims  needed  money 
he  did  not  go  to  him,  but  he  got  ready  for  him, 
and  like  a  spider  in  his  web  waiting  the  unwary 
fly,  bided  his  time.  He  knew  the  man  would  not 
come  to  him  until  he  had  exhausted  every  pos 
sible  means  of  raising  the  money  elsewhere.  He 
knew  that  the  majority  of  the  people  in  the  town 
despised  him  and  the  rest  feared  him,  but  he  did 
not  care  for  their  opinions,  and  he  paid  no  atten 
tion  to  what  he  heard  said  about  himself. 

Let  him  have  the  chance  to  lend  them  money 
and  they  might  say  what  they  would.  The  rates 
of  interest  he  demanded  and  got,  if  compared 
with  that  charged  by  Shylock,  would  have  made 
the  old  Jew  appear  to  have  been  a  charitable  in 
stitution  and  one  who  went  about  seeking  to  do 
good. 

Friend  had  started  in  life  working  on  his 
father's  farm  or  vessels,  had  saved  every  penny 

121 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

he  could  get  his  hands  on,  and  this  amount  added 
to  what  his  father  left  him,  had  made  him 
wealthy  enough  for  all  decent  purposes,  consid 
ering  the  town  in  which  he  lived.  But  this  was 
not  enough  for  the  covetous,  greedy  man. 

He  had  added  to  the  amount  of  his  wealth 
by  the  rates  of  interest  he  ground  out  of  people, 
but  in  addition  to  that  source  of  income  he  had 
a  better  one.  He  ever  studied  means  and  ways 
of  not  only  getting  what  was  his  due,  but  also 
getting  all  that  the  unwary  borrower  had. 

If  the  price  of  farms  or  cattle  and  horses  was 
high,  every  loan  that  was  due  and  payable  was 
allowed  to  run  along,  and  the  poor  borrower  was 
informed  that  there  was  no  necessity  of  paying 
at  that  time,  and  the  loan  could  stand  for  a 
while,  the  rate  of  interest  continuing  to  be  paid. 
But  the  moment  that  the  price  of  the  property 
loaned  upon  fell,  payment  was  immediately  de 
manded. 

The  borrower,  horror  stricken  at  the  demand, 
endeavored  to  borrow  the  money  elsewhere,  but 
found  it  impossible  in  the  poor  condition  of  the 
money  market.  Entreaties,  pleadings,  even 
threats  addressed  to  Rhoderick  Friend  fell  upon 

122 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

deaf  ears.  The  mortgages  were  foreclosed,  the 
property  bid  in  at  the  auction  by  the  only  man 
that  could  afford  to  purchase,  held  by  him  until 
a  good  price  could  be  obtained  and  then  sold  at 
a  handsome  profit.  And  as  his  financial  opera 
tions  extended  over  the  entire  county,  he  natu 
rally  became  the  owner  from  time  to  time  of  a 
number  of  farms  which  he  always  avoided  sell 
ing  for  cash  if  a  possible  thing.  For  once  sold 
for  cash,  the  chance  of  Rhoderick  Friend  again 
getting  it  into  his  clutches  was  decidedly  dimin 
ished.  He,  therefore,  always  preferred  to  take 
a  mortgage  on  the  farm  for  about  seventy  per  cent, 
of  the  purchase  money  at  a  good  rate  of  interest. 
A  pleasanter,  more  agreeable  man  for  a  stranger 
to  deal  with  apparently  did  not  exist.  He  always 
declared  that  he  did  not  care  to  sell  the  farm  in 
question.  "Good  farm,  and  probably  could  get 
a  larger  profit  by  holding  it  and  running  it  him 
self.  Still,  if  the  purchaser's  heart  was  set  on 
it,  possibly  he  would  sell  for  a  fair  price.  Came 
into  his  hands  through  a  poor  investment,  and 
didn't  expect  to  get  out  whole.  Didn't  know  just 
then  how  to  invest  the  money,  and  consequently 
shouldn't  sell  unless  the  purchaser  would  pay 

123 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

about  thirty  per  cent,  of  the  price  in  cash,  and  give 
a  mortgage  back  for  the  balance  at  a  fair  rate 
of  interest,  considering  that  the  times  were  bad 
and  money  rather  tight  just  now.  Better  make 
mortgage  for  one  year,  but  of  course,  unless 
something  happened  it  could  run  along  just  the 
same  when  the  year  was  up." 

And  thus  the  purchaser  was  induced  to  take 
the  farm,  and  give  the  mortgage,  and  Ehoderick 
Friend  rode  home  with  his  mortgage  and  money, 
grinning  and  chuckling,  knowing  that  in  a  ma 
jority  of  cases  the  money  paid  as  part  of  the 
purchase  price  was  clear  gain,  as  he  would  have 
the  farm  back  again  at  the  first  convenient  op 
portunity. 

His  meanness  to  other  people  extended  also 
to  his  own  family.  He  regarded  children,  and 
he  had  a  number  of  them,  as  a  misfortune,  and 
a  source  of  expense  until  they  got  old  enough  to 
work.  His  daughters  were  compelled  to  assist 
their  mother  about  the  house,  and  his  sons 
worked  on  the  farm  as  soon  as  they  were  large 
enough  to  perform  even  the  slightest  labor. 

His  wife  had  been  a  bright,  pretty  girl  when 
he  had  married  her,  and  had  believed  that  he 

124 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

would  be  the  ordinary  good  husband.  But  he 
had  cheated  her  as  he  had  cheated  every  other 
person  that  ever  listened  to  him.  Tough  as  a 
knot  himself,  never  knowing  from  personal  ex 
perience  what  sickness  meant,  he  did  the  work 
of  two  men,  working  from  sunrise  until  he  could 
not  think  of  another  thing  to  do  that  would  earn 
him  a  penny,  and  he  expected  her  to  do  the  same. 

The  children  left  home  as  soon  as  it  was  pos 
sible  to  earn  even  an  existence  elsewhere,  for  the 
law  made  them  free  at  twenty-one  years  of  age; 
but  for  her,  marriage  meant  slavery  for  life.  She 
had  no  relatives  to  give  her  a  home  if  she  had 
left  him,  and  she  could  not  earn  her  own  living, 
for  she  was  a  small,  delicate  woman  when  he  had 
first  married  her,  and  she  had  grown  old  and 
feeble  before  her  time.  At  first  her  complaints 
had  met  with  no  response,  then  with  sneers  of 
unbelief,  and  finally  with  blows. 

On  one  occasion  when  he  had  lifted  his  hand 
against  the  woman,  and  had  sent  her  reeling  and 
half  fainting  against  the  wall  of  the  room,  Still- 
man  Gott  had  been  passing  the  house,  and  turn 
ing  his  head  at  the  sound  of  loud  words,  had 
seen  the  blow  struck. 

125 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

A  moment  later  Khoderick  Friend  found  him 
self  on  the  floor,  and  Still,  with  blazing  eyes, 
standing  over  him. 

"Ehod  Friend,"  said  Still,  "if  yer  ever  dare 
ter  strike  that  woman  ergin  an'  I  see  yer,  I'll 
kill  yer  ez  I  would  kill  er  snake,  ef  I  hev  ter 
spend  ther  rest  uv  my  days  in  prison  ter  pay 
fer  it.  Yer  mis'rable,  cowardly  cur!  Why  don't 
yer  git  up  an'  make  er  blow  at  me  so's  I  kin  hev 
an  excuse  ter  lick  yer  till  yer  mother  wouldn't 
know  yer?  I'll  tell  yer  why!  It's  'cause  yer 
hain't  got  ther  spunk  uv  er  clam,  an'  no  man  hez 
what'll  strike  er  woman.  You  kin  skin  people, 
I  s'pose,  'cause  ther  law'll  let  yer,  but  ther  law 
won't  let  yer  beat  yer  wife,  yer  low  lived  skunk," 
and  bidding  the  woman  to  notify  him  if  ever  her 
husband  struck  her  again,  and  assuring  her  that 
he  would  see  that  he  was  arrested  and  punished, 
Still  went  his  way. 

Up  to  that  moment,  Rhoderick  Friend  had  no 
particular  feeling  for  or  against  Still.  But  from 
that  time  he  feared  him,  and  fearing  him,  there 
fore  hated  him.  He  never  lost  an  opportunity 
to  sneer  at  Still  or  make  remarks  that  while  they 
said  little  possibly  meant  a  good  deal. 

126 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

On  one  occasion  while  he  was  orating  in  one 
of  the  county  stores  in  the  village  and  making 
his  customary  remarks  about  Still,  he  was  sud 
denly  seized  from  behind  by  the  coat  collar  and 
legs,  swiftly  carried  out  of  the  store  and  depos 
ited  in  the  horse  trough  in  front  of  the  door, 
and  forcibly  and  by  no  means  gently,  soused  up 
and  down  in  the  water  until  nearly  drowned. 

As  he  crawled  out  of  the  water  and  gasped  for 
breath,  he  heard  a  voice  say: 

"There,  sir,  I  guess  some  uv  ther  meanness  is 
kind  uv  washed  out  uv  yer,  but  ther  next  time 
I'll  leave  yer  in  soak  over  night,  consarn  yer.  I 
give  yer  fair  warnin'  now  that  ev'ry  time  I  hear 
yer  sayin'  er  word  erginst  me,  I'll  punish  yer 
some  way,  ef  I  hev  ter  mop  up  ther  floor  with 
yer  till  I  wear  yer  out  up  to  yer  shoulder  blades, 
yer  good  fer  nothin'  sculpin,"  and  standing  in 
front  of  him  was  Stillman  Gott,  with  a  grinning 
crowd  of  admiring  friends  around  him. 

If  looks  or  thoughts  would  have  killed  him, 
Still  would  have  died  that  moment,  but  Friend 
knew  that  he  would  be  a  child  in  Still's  hands 
if  he  attacked  him,  and  he  walked  away  in  si 
lence,  the  laughter  of  the  crowd  following  him 

127 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  stabbing  him  every  step.  Still  had  made  an 
enemy  of  a  man  who  was  accustomed  to  waiting 
for  smaller  things  than  revenge,  and  Friend 
bided  his  time. 


CHAPTER 
TWELVE 

There  was  a  long  lane  leading  from  the  main 
road  near  Friend's  barn  that  wandered  back 
through  the  pastures  and  wood  lots  over  to  a 
small  body  of  water  called  the  salt  pond,  and 
several  times  Friend  had  seen  Still  coming 
through  the  lane  to  the  main  road  after  dark, 
generally  with  a  basket  in  his  hand. 

The  two  men  had  not  spoken  to  one  another, 
nor  had  either  one  apparently  been  aware  of  the 
existence  of  the  other  except  that  on  one  occa 
sion,  Still,  willing  to  forget  what  had  happened 
and  having  no  ill  will  toward  Friend,  had  bade 
him  good  evening,  but  had  met  with  no  response 
other  than  a  surly  growl. 

It  was  getting  into  the  latter  part  of  the  sum 
mer,  and  the  "breathing  spell"  that  comes  be 
tween  haying  and  harvesting  in  farm  life  had 
arrived.  The  weather  had  been  particularly  dry 

129 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

•that  summer,  and  the  springs  and  wells  were 
low  enough  to  be  a  source  of  anxiety  to  the 
farmers.  The  well  near  the  house  of  Friend  had 
run  dry,  and  water  was  procured  from  another 
down  in  the  field  near  the  shore  of  the  bay. 

Mrs.  Friend  had  tugged  pails  of  water  up  to 
the  house  day  after  day,  while  her  husband  sat 
in  a  chair  fanning  himself  or  smoking. 

One  evening  she  had  been  too  tired  to  take 
the  journey,  and  had  decided  to  postpone  that 
much  of  her  work  until  the  next  morning,  when 
upon  going  to  the  kitchen  for  a  drink  of  water 
before  retiring,  Friend  had  found  the  pail  empty. 

"Here,  Marthy,  why  don't  yer  tend  ter  bizness  ? 
I  want  er  drink  an'  ther  pail's  empty,"  he  bawled 
out. 

"Can't  you  go  down  an'  git  er  pail?"  asked 
the  tired  woman  in  fear  and  trembling. 

"What's  that?  Can  I  git  er  pail?  S'pose  I 
can,  but  I  won't.  I  ain't  doin'  housework  jest 
yit.  G'long  now  an'  be  quick  erbout  it,"  and  the 
man  sat  down,  while  the  wellnigh  exhausted 
woman  picked  up  the  pail  and  started  out  of  the 
house,  knowing  too  well  that  a  moment's  hesita 
tion  would  bring  a  blow  instead  of  words. 

130 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

As  she  came  up  the  slope  toward  the  house 
dragging  her  tired  feet  and  the  heavy  pail  slowly 
along,  she  saw  a  light  in  the  direction  of  the  barn 
that  caused  her  to  forget  all  her  troubles  and 
fatigue. 

She  sprang  toward  the  house  crying^  "Rhod, 
Rhod,  the  barn's  afire/'  and  as  she  passed  the 
door  on  her  way  across  the  road  to  the  barn,  her 
husband  rushed  past  her.  She  followed  as  fast 
as  she  could,  and  when  she  arrived  at  the  barn, 
her  husband  was  pulling  the  farm  wagon  out 
through  the  open  door  with  a  man,  whom  she 
recognized  by  the  glare  of  the  fire  as  Still,  push 
ing  from  behind. 

The  cattle  apparently  had  escaped  from  the 
burning  building  in  some  way,  for  she  could  hear 
them  bellowing  with  fright  in  the  lane  that  led 
from  the  barnyard  to  the  pasture. 

There  was  nothing  for  the  neighbors  who  had 
quickly  assembled  to  do  but  stand  and  watch  the 
blaze  and  keep  the  other  buildings  from  igniting 
from  the  showers  of  sparks  and  bits  of  burning 
shingles  that  filled  the  air.  As  the  fire  died  down 
so  that  there  was  no  longer  any  danger,  the  ex 
cited  men  and  women  walked  to  the  house  and 

131 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

sat  down  to  talk  the  matter  over. 

"How  do  yer  think  it  ketched?"  inquired  one 
of  the  neighboring  farmers  of  Friend. 

"It  didn't  ketch,  it  was  sot,"  was  the  angry 
reply. 

"Sot  ?  Well,  I  declare !  Hev  yer  any  idee  who 
sot  it?"  asked  another  neighbor. 

"Yes,"  replied  Friend,  "I've  not  only  got  an 
idee,  but  I'm  sartain  who  sot  it.  'Twas  Still 
Gott,  an'  I'll  have  him  in  jail  'fore  'nother  sun 
down  if  there's  any  law  in  ther  county." 

The  gathering  as  one  man  turned  to  ascertain 
what  Still  would  say  in  reply,  but  he  was  not  to 
be  seen.  It  was  then  recollected  by  some  one 
that  he  had  gone  toward  his  home  as  soon  as  all 
danger  was  over,  remarking  that  "He  guessed 
he  wuzn't  needed  any  more,  so  he'd  better  be 
gittin'  toward  home." 

A  few  days  after  the  fire,  Still  was  doing  a  lit 
tle  necessary  work  on  his  barn  roof,  when  he 
heard  some  one  call  out,  "Still,  I  want  to  see 
you  a  moment." 

Looking  around,  he  replied,  "Hello,  sheriff. 
What  on  earth  do  yer  want  uv  me  ?  I  don't  owe 
nobody,  an'  it  can't  be  er  breach  uv  promise  case, 

132 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ez  I  hain't  so  much  ez  looked  crossways  at  any 
woman  fer  more'n  twenty  years.  Howsomever, 
I'll  come  down,  same  ez  Zaccheus  did  in  Bible 
times  when  he  wuz  called,"  and  coming  down  the 
ladder  to  the  ground,  he  sat  down  on  a  milking 
stool  and  said : 

"Now,  sheriff,  set  down,  an'  let  me  know  what 
yer  want." 

"Still,  I  want  to  ask  you  one  or  two  questions, 
and  you  needn't  answer  them  unless  you  want 
to." 

"Go  ahead,  sheriff,  and  ask  away.  I  ain't  no 
'ntelligence  office,  an'  if  y're  goin'  to  inquire 
'bout  g'ography  er  hist'ry  I'm  er  little  rusty,  but 
ef  it's  erbout  farmin'  er  fishin',  or  who'd  be  ther 
best  man  ter  run  fer  fust  selectman  next  town 
meetin',  or  any  triflin'  thing  like  that,  go  ahead 
an'  ask,  an'  I'll  give  yer  my  opinion  fer  what  it's 
wuth,  and  yer  can  use  it  er  not,  jest  ez  yer  like." 

"Still,  this  is  a  serious  matter,  and  I  want  you 
to  take  time  and  answer  me  carefully.  You 
know  that  Ehoderick  Friend's  barn  was  burnt 
the  other  night,  for  you  were  there  at  the  time 
helping  to  get  the  stock  out.  Now  I  want  you 
to  tell  me  what  you  know  about  it.  Remember, 

133 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

whatever  you  tell  me  about  it,  I  may  be  obliged 
to  tell  to  someone  else  later." 

"Well,  now,  Bill,  leavin'  ther  sheriff  off  an' 
talkin'  as  two  men  an'  two  friends,  I'll  tell  yer 
all  I  know  about  it,  an'  ez  fer  yer  tellin'  it,  yer 
can  put  it  in  the  county  paper  ez  fer  ez  I  care. 
I  wuz  comin'  down  the  road  that  night  about 
nine  o'clock,  ez  near  ez  I  can  figger  it,  an'  I  wuz 
er  little  piece  above  Ehod's  barn,  up  ther  lane 
leadin'  over  to  ther  pond,  when  I  see  er  light 
what  I  knew  wuzn't  the  moon  nor  no  lantern  in 
ther  barn.  I  stopped  an'  looked  fer  er  minute, 
an'  then  I  give  er  jump  an'  er  yell,  an'  I  lit  out 
fer  that  barn  like  sixty.  I  knew  it  wuz  er  fire, 
an'  I  opened  the  barn  doors,  jumped  into  ther 
tie  up,  undid  ther  stanchills,  an'  let  the  cattle 
out,  unhitched  the  hoss  an'  started  ter  see  what 
ter  do  next;  I  helped  Ehod  git  his  wagon  out, 
but  by  that  time  things  wuz  so  warm  an'  sort 
uv  sultry  in  ther  barn  that  it  wuz  er  case  uv 
bake  er  git  out,  an'  so  I  lit  out.  In  erbout  er 
minute,  I  sh'd  say,  some  uv  ther  neighbors  had 
got  there,  but  there  wuz  nothin'  ter  do  but  stand 
and  see  it  burn,  an'  look  out  that  none  uv  ther 
sparks  ketched  on  ther  house  an'  ther  other 

134 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

bulletin's.  I  stayed  round  'till  ther  fire  wuz  out 
an'  nothin'  more  ter  do,  an'  then  I  jogged  erlong 
home  an'  went  ter  bed.  That's  ther  whole  story, 
Bill,  in  er  nutshell.  Now,  what  yer  drivin'  at?" 

"Well,  Still,  I'd  rather  be  kicked  than  tell  you 
what  I'm  here  for,  but  Khod  Friend  has  sworn 
out  a  warrant  for  your  arrest,  an'  I'm  here  to 
serve  it  and  take  you  to  jail.  You  know  how  I 
feel  towards  you,  and  I  don't  forget  that  we  have 
known  each  other  since  we  were  boys,  but  I've 
got  my  duty  to  perform,  no  matter  who  it  hits, 
and  I've  got  to  ask  you  to  go  with  me.  I'll  stop 
anywhere  you  want  me  to  so  that  you  can  get 
bail,  and  you  better  make  arrangements  for  some 
of  the  neighbors  to  look  after  your  horse  and 
the  house  for  a  few  days." 

Still  had  stood  up  while  the  sheriff  was  talk 
ing,  and  was  gazing  off  over  the  bay  with  a  quiet 
look  in  his  eyes.  As  the  sheriff  finished  talking, 
he  straightened  up  his  full  height  of  six  feet,  and 
said  quietly: 

"Sheriff,  y're  sheriff  now,  an'  not  Bill.  I  ain't 
ther  best  man  that  ever  lived,  an'  I  ain't  callin' 
attention  ter  any  uv  my  good  p'ints,  if  I've  got 
any,  in  what  I'm  going  ter  say,  but  man  an'  boy 

135 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

I've  lived  in  this  town  ever  since  I  wuz  born,  an* 
my  father  an'  mother  b'fore  me.  They're  both 
layin'  over  here  in  the  graveyard,  an'  some  day 
I'll  lay  beside  'em.  I  never  did  nothin'  durin' 
their  lives  to  make  'em  'shamed  uv  me,  and  I 
hain't  done  nothin'  since  they  died  that  would 
keep  me  from  lookin'  any  man,  woman  or  child 
in  ther  face.  I'm  goin'  with  yer  'cause  that's  ther 
law,  but,  sheriff,  I'm  ez  innercent  uv  burnin'  that 
barn  ez  er  two-year-old  child.  Jest  drive  over  ter 
one  uv  ther  neighbors  with  me,  an'  I'll  arrange 
for  some  one  ter  look  out  fer  the  place  till  I 
git  back,  an'  if  there's  any  justice  er  common 
sense  in  ther  world,  I'll  be  back  ergin  soon,  er 
holdin'  up  my  head  same's  I've  always  done." 

The  couple  drove  quickly  to  Allan  Carter's 
house,  and  as  Allan  came  out  of  the  house  to 
meet  them,  Still  remarked,  "Allan,  you  remem 
ber,  don't  yer,  what  ther  good  book  tells  erbout 
Saint  Paul  bein'  arrested  an'  put  in  jail?  Well, 
I'm  follerin'  in  his  steps  ter  that  extent,  an'  in 
my  opinion  I'll  git  out  ergin  jest  ez  easy  ez  he 
did  an'  erbout  ez  quick." 

The  story  was  soon  told  to  the  astonished 
friend,  and  Allan  having  promised  to  look  after 

136 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Still's  little  farm,  the  sheriff  and  Still  rode  away 
toward  the  county  jail. 

The  jail  was  reached  late  in  the  afternoon,  and 
Still  was  locked  up  in  a  cell,  the  friendly  sheriff 
remarking  to  him,  "Still,  it  isn't  necessary  for 
me  to  tell  you  my  own  private  ideas  about  this 
case,  in  fact  it  wouldn't  be  proper  for  me  to  do 
so.  I  would  rather  take  you  into  my  own  house 
than  lock  you  up  here  in  jail,  but  I  must  do  my 
duty  without  thinking  of  my  own  feelings.  I 
hope  you  don't  feel  hard  toward  me  ?" 

"Look  here,  sheriff,"  replied  the  prisoner,  "yer 
keep  right  on  doin'  yer  duty,  an'  I'll  do  mine. 
Why,  good  Lord,  man,  what  hev  I  ter  feel  hard 
about?  Yer  hain't  done  nothin'  wrong.  Yer 
hed  yer  choice  between  arrestin'  me  er  resignin' 
yer  office,  an'  'taint  human  nature  fer  any  man 
ter  resign  an  office.  I  don't  feel  hard  toward  no 
body,  'cept  mebbe  toward  Rhod  Friend,  ther  fel 
ler  who  swore  out  ther  warrant.  Ez  fer  ez  he  is 
concerned,  I've  nothin'  ter  say  now.  He  hates 
me  like  pizen  an'  would  swear  his  soul  away  ter 
make  me  trouble.  Yer  go  right  erlong  'tendin' 
ter  bizness,  an'  I'll  be  ez  snug  ez  er  bug  in  er 
rug.  Stayin'  here  er  few  days  won't  hurt  my 

137 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

health  any,  an'  there  ain't  much  do-in'  on  ther 
farm  jest  now.  Things'll  be  jest  ez  pleasant  fer 
me  as  fer  most  uv  'em  that's  here,  unless  I  miss 
mj  guess." 

Early  in  the  evening  the  keeper  of  the  cells 
in  the  corridor  where  Still  was  imprisoned  came 
to  the  cell  door  and  said  in  a  -guarded  voice, 
"Still,  Still,  are  you  awake  ?" 

"Hello,  Tom,  is  that  you?"  answered  Still. 
"Yes,  I'm  awake.  Been  'sleep,  but  this  bed 
hain't  got  no  feathers  in  it  an'  feels  kind  uv 
hummocky  in  spots.  I  s-h'd  say  that  ther  tick 
is  filled  with  cord  wood  er  hardware.  Ort  ter  last 
well,  but  yer  ain't  inclined  ter  snuggle  down  on 
it.  Guess  I  wuz  sleepin'  kind  uv  light  so  ez  not 
ter  rest  too  heavy  on  ther  hard  spots.  Hev  yer 
come  ter  make  er  call?  Sorry  I  can't  ask  yer 
in,  but  ther  boarders  here  hev  ter  be  mighty 
careful  who  they  invite  in.  Yer  see,  there's 
apt  ter  be  more  or  less  'spicious  characters  er 
hangin'  eround  er  jail,  and  ther  boarders  is 
mighty  select.  Mostly  selected  by  ther 'sheriff ." 

"Still,"  said  the  keeper,  earnestly,  "don't  you 
understand  this  is  a  serious  thing?  How  on 
earth  you  can  joke  about  it  is  more  than  I  can 

138 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

understand.  Wait  a  moment  till  I  see  if  any 
body  is  listening." 

The  keeper  moved  away  from  the  door  of  the 
cell  and  walked  up  and  down  the  corridor.  Pres 
ently  he  returned  and  resumed  the  conversation 
in  the  same  guarded  voice. 

"Now,  look  here,  Still,  I've  known  you  a  life 
time,  and  I  am  not  going  to  ask  you  if  you  set 
that  barn  afire  or  not.  I  don't  want  to  know.  One 
thing  is  certain,  if  you  are  convicted,  you  will 
get  a  stiff  sentence  in  the  state  prison.  The 
judges  are  determined  to  stop  such  things,  and 
it  will  be  a  long  day  before  you  see  Bartlett 
again.  When  everybody  is  asleep  I  am  going  to 
open  your  cell  door,  and  as  soon  as  I  go  away 
you  get  out,  go  down  to  the  end  of  the  corridor, 
get  out'  of  the  window,  drop  to  the  ground  and 
clear  out.  It  will  be  an  easy  thing  to  do,  for 
the  bars  on  the  window  are  all  loose,  and  a  strong 
man  like  you  could  wrench  them  off  easy.  Go 
ahead,  and  good  luck  to  you.  Once  out  of  that 
window,  take  to  the  woods  and  you  never  will 
be  caught.  You  can  get  to  the  railroad  before 
any  one  knows  you  are  gone,  and  then  with  the 
money  I'll  give  you,  you  can  be  half  way  to  Can- 

139 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ada  before  tiny  will  know  what  to  do." 

"Tom,  when  I  git  out  uv  here,  I'll  show  yer 
some  day  that  I  thank  yer  fer  yer  friendship, 
but,  heavens  an'  earth,  do  yer  s'pose  fer  one  min 
ute  that  I'd  er  come  ez  fer  ez  ther  jail  ef  I'd 
been  guilty?  Why,  bless  yer  soul,  I  wouldn't 
hev  gone  two  rod  frum  my  own  dooryard.  Sher 
iff's  er  good  feller,  an'  plucky,  an'  all  that,  but 
ef  I'd  hed  an  idee  uv  gittin'  way,  he  couldn't 
hev  held  me  ez  long  ez  'twould  hev  taken  ter  say 
Jack  Robinson.  Why,  ther  best  day  he  ever  saw 
he  couldn't  hold  me.  I'd  er  gone  'round  him 
like  er  cooper  'round  er  cask.  I'd  er  fetched  him 
jest  one  slat,  an'  lit  inter  the  bushes  so  quick 
'twould  hev  made  his  head  swim  er  thinkin'  uv 
it  afterwards.  But  yer,  see,  Tom,  I  hain't  done 
nothin'.  I'm  ez  innercent  ez  you  are,  an'  I  ain't 
ergoin'  ter  knock  my  case  in  ther  head  by  run- 
nin'  away.  No,  sir,  I  hain't  got  all  ther  brains 
in  ther  county,  but  what  I  hev  is  in  good  workin' 
order  an'  I'm  usin'  'em.  If  I  should  run  one 
step  now,  nothin'  in  ther  Lord's  world  would 
ever  make  people  think  I  wuz  innercent.  I'm 
goin'  ter  stop  here  till  I  get  bailed  out  er  till  my 
trial,  an'  yer'll  find  me  er  headin'  up  inter  the 

140 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

wind  every  second.  Don't  yer  fret  about  me  one 
bit.  I'm  goin'  ter  try  an'  find  er  soft  spot  in  this 
bed,  an'  if  I  find  it  I'm  goin'  ter  coil  myself 
down  on  it  an'  git  some  sleep.  Good  night, 
Tom." 

The  keeper  moved  away  from  the  cell  door 
and  Still  sat  down  on  the  side  of  the  bed.  As 
he  sat  there  thinking  of  what  had  happened,  the 
voices  of  the  congregation  assembled  in  the  vil 
lage  church  for  the  weekly  meeting  came  in 
through  the  corridor  window,  as  if  appealing  to 
the  inmates  of  the  jail. 

"Now  that's  kind  uv  cur'us,"  mused  Still. 
"There's  er  prayer  meetin'  goin'  full  blast,  with 
me,  er  feller  that's  allers  tended  church,  cooped 
up  here  in  jail.  Singin'  'Where  is  my  wand'rin' 
boy  tonight/  hey?  Good  song,  but  doesn't  ap 
ply  much  to  ther  fellers  in  ther  jail.  They'd 
like  ter  be  wand'rin'  fast  enough  ef  only  they  hed 
ther  chance.  An'  I  s'pose  there'll  be  er  lots  uv 
prayers  fer  ther  heathen  in  forrin  lands  said 
over  there,  and  pooty  soon  Deacon  Childs'll  git 
up  an'  reel  off  his  regerlation  prayer.  He  gen'- 
rally  starts  it  in  Bartlett,  but  it  ain't  five  min 
utes  before  he's  mformin'  ther  Lord  all  erbout 

141 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

er  pack  uv  slit  eyed  half  breeds  over  in  China 
an'  Burmey,  that,  if  yer'd  believe  ther  deacon, 
are  settin'  up  nights  er  waitin'  fer  missionaries 
ter  bring  'em  ther  simon  pure  article,  when 
ther  truth  is  there's  er  good  many  heathin  with 
in  er  stone's  throw  uv  the  deacon  right  here  in 
jail,  who  need  religion  worse'n  ther  deacon  does 
himself,  an'  that's  bad  enough.  Ther  deacon's 
prayers  don't  go  any  higher  in  my  opinion  than 
ther  meetin'  house  roof,  er  start  frum  any  lower 
down  than  his  collar  bone.  Well,  there's  one 
consolation,  most  uv  ther  prayin'  that's  been 
done  fer  me  I've  done  myself.  Guess  I'll  lay 
down  an'  take  er  nap,"  and  in  a  few  moments 
Still  was  sound  asleep. 


CHAPTER 
THIRTEEN 

The  next  day  Still  was  brought  before  the  lo 
cal  judge,  and  a£ter  a  hearing  the  judge  found 
probable  cause  to  hold  him  for  the  grand 
jupy,  although  in  summing  up  the  case  he  re 
marked  that  it  was  not  his  duty  under  the  cir 
cumstances  to  pass  on  the  question  of  the  guilt 
of  the  prisoner,  but  only  to  decide  whether  or 
not  there  was  any  cause  to  suspect,  so  to  speak, 
that  the  act  had  been  committed  by  the  defend 
ant.  He  intimated  that  if  the  final  question  of 
conviction  or  acquittal  had  rested  with  him,  his 
decision  might  have  been  otherwise. 

Bail  was  quickly  procured,  and  Still  returned 
to  his  little  farm,  awaiting  the  action  of  the 
grand  jury.  A  few  weeks  later,  to  the  surprise 
and  indignation  of  a  large  majority  of  the  neigh 
bors,  an  indictment  was  found  against  Still,  and 
it  was  now  certain  that  he  would  have  to  be  tried 
by  a  jury  for  the  crime  of  incendiarism. 

143 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Allan  Carter  and  numerous  other  neighbors 
offered  assistance  to  Still  in  the  way  of  testi 
mony  to  his  good  character  and  proposals  to 
employ  counsel,  but  to  all  of  their  kind  offers 
Still  replied: 

"I  may  want  some  uv  yer  ter  go  ter  court  when 
ther  time  comes  an'  say  er  good  word  fer  me,  but 
I  don't  need  no  lawyer  fer  this  case.  It's  ez  plain 
ez  ther  nose  on  my  face  that  they  hain't  got  no 
case,  only  er  sneakin'  suspicion  that  they  could 
jest  ez  well  tack  on  ter  anybody  else  ez  on  ter  me." 

Fall  came,  and  the  day  of  the  trial  arrived. 
Every  man  that  could  possibly  get  away  from  his 
farm  was  at  the  court  house,  a  few  attracted  out 
of  curiosity,  but  most  of  them  because  they  felt 
that  a  grave  wrong  had  been  done  to  an  honest 
man. 

When  previously  arraigned  Still  had  pleaded 
"not  guilty/'  and  when  the  case  was  called  for 
trial  the  presiding  judge  said  in  a  kindly  tone 
of  voice:  "Mr.  Gott,  have  you  counsel?  If  not, 
I  will  continue  the  case  until  you  procure  one ;  or, 
if  you  are  unable  to  procure  counsel,  I  will  ap 
point  some  member  of  the  bar  to  protect  your 
interests." 

144 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Judge/'  replied  Still,  "if  this  wuz  er  ease 
where  there  wuz  some  pints  uv  law  ter  be  talked 
erbout,  I'd  er  hed  er  lawyer  an'  would  hev  paid 
him  myself.  But  it's  jest  er  question  uv  one 
man's  word  erginst  ernother,  an'  I  guess  I  kin 
talk  er  little  without  any  lawyer  ter  help." 

"Very  well/'  said  the  judge,  "that  is  your 
privilege.  Mr.  District  Attorney,  you  may  pro 
ceed  with  the  case." 

The  first  and  principal  witness  for  the  gov 
ernment  was  the  complaintant,  Rhoderick 
Friend,  who  testified  that  he  was  sitting  in  his 
house  when  he  heard  his  wife  scream  that  the 
barn  was  on  fire.  That  he  rushed  out  at  once, 
ran  to  the  barn,  and  found  the  defendant,  Gott, 
coming  out  of  the  barn  by  the  small  door.  That 
he,  the  witness,  rushed  into  the  barn  through 
another  door  and  began  dragging  out  his  wagon, 
and  that  the  defendant,  coming  from  the  inside 
of  the  barn  again,  assisted  him  in  getting  the 
wagon  out  by  pushing  from  behind.  By  that 
time  some  of  the  neighbors  had  arrived,  and  he 
did  not  notice  Gott  again  until  the  fire  was  prac 
tically  out,  when  he  asked  him  how  he  came  to 
be  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  barn  at  that  hour. 

145 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  witness  further  testified  that  the  defendant, 
Gott,  made  no  reply  to  his  question  at  first,  and, 
when  questioned  again,  replied  that  he  did  not 
know  as  he  was  obliged  to  tell  where  he  went 
nights. 

The  defendant,  Gott,  had  threatened  him  on 
several  occasions,  and  had  been  seen  by  the  wit 
ness  several  times  lately  near  the  barn  of  the 
witness,  and  when  met  by  the  witness  had  turned 
and  walked  away  without  speaking. 

As  the  district  attorney  ceased  questioning, 
Friend  started  to  leave  the  witness  stand,  when 
Still,  rising  quickly  from  his  seat,  said: 

"Wait  er  minute,  I've  got  er  few  things  I'd 
like  ter  ask  yer.  Fust  time  I  threatened  yer 
wuz  in  yer  own  house,  wuzn't  it  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Caught  yer  strikin'  yer  wife  an'  knocked  yer 
flat,  an'  told  yer  I'd  hev  yer  put  in  jail  if  I  ever 
ketched  yer  doin'  it  ergin,  didn't  I?" 

Friend  got  red  in  the  face  and  hesitated  for 
a  moment,  and  then  in  a  low  voice  answered, 
"Yes." 

"An'  ther  second  time  I  ketched  yer  talkin' 
behind  my  back  in  er  store  in  Bartlett  village 

146 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  ducked  yer  in  ther  hoss  trough,  didn't  I  ?" 

"Yes,  you  did,"  was  the  angry  answer. 

"An'  I  said  next  time  I'd.  soak  yer  over  night, 
didn't  I?" 

"Yes." 

"Threatened  yer  with  water  'stead  uv  fire, 
eh?" 

"  'Spose  so,"  was  the  reply. 

"Did  I  ever  threaten  ter  burn  yer  buildin's, 
or  do  anything  'cept  put  yer  in  jail  er  ther  wa- 
terin'  trough?" 

"Well,  I  thought—" 

"Never  mind  whut  yer  thought.  Did  I  ever 
threaten  ter  burn  yer  buildin's?" 

"Don't  know  ez  you  ever  did,"  was  the  surly 
reply. 

"Mr.  Friend,  who  got  yer  cattle  out  uv  ther 
barn?" 

"Don't  know." 

"When  did  yer  find  out  that  they  wuz  safe?" 

"Don't  know  exactly.  Think  some  of  ther 
neighbors  told  me  they  was  in  the  lane  after  the 
fire  was  out." 

"Now,  Mr.  Friend,  you  hain't  felt  real  lovin' 
toward  me  since  I  licked  yer,  hev  yer  ?" 

147 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"No,  I  hevn't,"  was  the  reply  in  an  angry  tone 
of  voice. 

"What  time  wuz  yer  out  ter  ther  barn  last 
that  night  before  ther  fire?" 

"Just  after  dark  I  went  out  ter  milk  ther 
cows." 

"Little  late  on  yer  milkin',  wan't  yer?" 

"Yes,  I  was.  I  was  away  that  afternoon  and 
didn't  get  home  till  late." 

"Hmm.  Out  as  usual,  relievin'  the  sufferin' 
and  needy?" 

A  roar  of  laughter  went  round  the  court  room 
at  this  question,  for  everybody  in  the  county 
knew  the  mean  and  grasping  nature  of  Rhoderick 
Friend.  As  soon  as  quiet  had  been  restored,  the 
witness,  who  was  well  nigh  bursting  with  rage, 
answered,  "I  was  tendin'  ter  my  business." 

"Oh,  I  see,"  said  Still.  "Well,  now,  did  yer 
milk  in  ther  dark,  or  did  yer  hev  er  light?" 

"I  had  a  light." 

"What  kind  uv  er  light?" 

"Kerosene  lamp." 

"Kind  uv  er  funny  thing  ter  take  ter  the  barn, 
wuzn't  it?" 

"Yes,  p'raps  so,  but  I  couldn't  find  my  lan- 

148 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

tern  and  was  in  er  hurry." 

"Well,  after  yer  got  through  milkin',  what 
did  yer  do?" 

"Took  my  milk  and  went  inter  ther  house." 

"How  many  pails  uv  milk  did  yer  hev?" 

"Two." 

"How  big  pails  wjiz  they?" 

"Ten-quart  pails." 

"Wuz  they  full?" 

"Yes,  pretty  full." 

"Did  yer  go  out  ter  ther  barn  ergin  before 
ther  fire?" 

"No." 

"What  did  yer  do  with  ther  lamp?" 

"Took  it  inter  ther  house." 

"Well,  now,  Mr.  Friend,  if  yer  hed  er  ten-quart 
pail  uv  milk  in  each  hand,  how  did  yer  carry  theE 
lamp  ?" 

The  witness  for  a  moment  did  not  reply,  and 
then  in  a  nervous,  agitated  tone  of  voice  replied : 

"I  must  have  gone  out  ter  ther  barn  er  sec 
ond  time  for  ther  lamp." 

"Yer  say  yer  must  have.     Did  yer?" 

.  "I  think  I  did." 

"Don't  want  any  thinks,"  said  Still,  "jest  give 

149 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

us  cold  facts.     Did  yer?" 

"Yes,  I  did,"  was  the  reply,  in  a  tone  of  des 
peration. 

"Guess  that's  all  fer  now/'  said  Still. 

Mrs.  Friend  then  took  the  stand,  and  testified 
that  she  saw  the  blaze  and  cried  out  to  her  hus 
band,  and  as  quickly  as  possible  followed  him 
to  the  barn.  She  did  not  see  Gott  until  he 
helped  her  husband  get  the  wagon  out  of  the 
burning  building,  nor  did  she  see  him  afterward 
until  after  his  arrest. 

She  did  see  him  one  day,  however,  after  he 
was  bailed  out,"  near  the  ruins  of  the  barn,  pok 
ing  around  in  the  ashes  and  burned  wood,  and 
she  saw  him  pick  up  something,  put  it  in  his 
pocket  and  walk  away.  Couldn't  tell  what  it 
was  he  picked  up,  as  she  was  some  distance  from 
him.  Still  now  started  to  question  the  witness. 

"Mis'  Friend,  do  yer  do  all  yer  own  work,  er 
do  yer  hev  er  hired  girl  ter  help  yer  ?" 

The  woman's  face  flushed,  as  a  suppressed  tit 
ter  went  round  the  room  at  the  thought  of  Ehod- 
erick  Friend  ever  paying  out  a  penny  for  assist 
ance  for  his  wife. 

"I  do  my  own  work,"  she  answered. 

150 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"I  s'pose  yer  use  kerosene  lamps  in  yer  house, 
same's  ther  rest  uv  us  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Fill  'em  yerself  ev'ry  day,  er  does  yer  hus 
band  sometimes  do  it?" 

"I  always  do  it." 

"How  many  lamps  hev  yer?" 

"Four.  Two  in  the  kitchen,  one  in  the  dining 
room  and  one  in  the  sitting  room." 

"How  many  did  yer  hev  ther  night  uv  ther 
fire  ?" 

"Four." 

"Hev  yer  got  ther  same  four  now  yer  hed 
then?" 

The  woman  hesitated,  and  started  to  look  in 
the  direction  where  her  husband  sat,  but  in  a 
quick  tone  of  voice  Still  said: 

"Look  straight  at  me,  Mis'  Friend,  and  answer 
ther  question.  Air  they  ther  same  four?" 

"No." 

"How  many  new  ones  hev  yer  bought?" 

"One." 

"What  lamp's  place  did  ther  new  one  take?" 

"One  of  the  kitchen  lamps." 

"What  became  uv  that  lamp?" 

151 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"I  don't  know." 

"When  did  yer  miss  it?" 

"I  couldn't  say  exactly/'  replied  the  woman  in 
a  trembling  tone  of  voice. 

"Did  yer  miss  it  when  yer  went  ter  fill  it  ther 
day  after  ther  fire?"  questioned  Still.  "I  want 
ther  whole  truth,  Mis'  Friend,  and  I  want  yer  ter 
remember  that  yer've  called  Almighty  God  ter 
witness  that  yer'll  tell  it." 

The  woman  burst  into  tears,  and  sobbingly 
answered,  "Yes." 

"When  did  yer  husband  git  ther  new  one?" 

"A  day  or  two  after  ther  fire." 

"Did  he  say  anything  ter  yer  erbout  it  ?" 

"Must  I  tell  that?"  asked  the  weeping  woman 
of  the  judge.  Upon  being  informed  that  it  was 
a  proper  question  and  that  she  must  answer  it, 
but  that  she  need  not  give  the  conversation,  she 
replied,  "Yes." 

"That'll  do,"  said  Still. 

Several  other  witnesses  testified  to  seeing  Still 
at  the  fire,  and  two  of  them  testified  that  they 
were  present  at  the  watering  trough  affair.  Still 
did  not  cross-examine  these  witnesses,  simply  re 
marking  as  each  one  testified:  "Don't  care  to 

152 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ask  any  question  uv  er  man  what  tells  ther 
truth." 

"Mr.  Gould/'  called  the  district  attorney,  and 
Joe  Gould  shuffled  up  to  the  witness  stand,  his 
red  nose  standing  out  from  the  rest  of  his  face 
like  a  beacon  light  shining  through  the  fog. 

He  testified  that  he  was  walking  along  the  road 
toward  home  on  the  night  of  the  fire,  and  that 
when  he  got  opposite  the  barn  of  Ehoderick 
Friend  he  heard  a  noise  that  sounded  as  though 
some  one  was  in  the  barn.  He  looked  up  and 
saw  a  man  coming  out  of  the  barn.  At  first  he 
supposed  it  was  Ehoderick  Friend,  and  conse 
quently  walked  along.  A  few  minutes  later  he 
heard  Friend's  wife  cry  fire,  and  he  ran  back  to 
ascertain  what  was  the  matter.  When  he  got  to 
the  house  again,  he  saw  Friend  running  toward 
the  barn,  and  he  followed  him  and  did  what  he 
could  to  help  put  the  fire  out.  The  man  he  saw 
coming  out  of  the  barn  was  Stillman  Gott.  As 
he  finished  his  testimony  Still  began  to  cross- 
examine  the  witness. 

"Wuz  yer  the  fust  man  what  got  there  after 
Friend  ?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

153 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Wuz  yer  round  there  all  ther  time  till  ther 
fire  wuz  out?" 

"Yes,  I  wuz,  an'  some  time  after." 

"Did  yer  see  anybody  lettin'  ther  cattle  out  uv 
ther  barn?" 

"Don't  think  I  did." 

"What  did  yer  do  yerself  ?" 

"Well,  there  wuzn't  much  ter  do  'cept  stan' 
round.  Fire  wuz  goin'  too  brisk  ter  save  any 
thing. 

"Do  yer  know  whether  ther  cattle  wuz  out  uv 
ther  barn?" 

"Yes,  they  wuz.    I  heard  'em  up  ther  lane." 

"What  did  yer  see  me  doin'  when  yer  got 
there?" 

"Helpin'  pull  ther  wagon  out." 

"Look  sheepish,  er  anything  Tike  that?" 

"No;  you  wuz  pretty  well  worked  up,  though." 

"Ev'rybuddy  wuz,  wuzn't  they?" 

"Guess  they  wuz." 

"Where'd  yer  been  that  evenin'?" 

"Up  ter  ther  tavern  in  ther  village." 

"On  bizness  ?" 

"No;  jest  up  there." 

"Hed   anything  ter   drink?     I    don't   ask   yer 

154 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

where  yer  got  it,  on'y  whether  yer  hed  any  er 
not." 

"Yes,  some." 

"How  much  ?" 

"Don't  know." 

"Didn't  keep  any  track  uv  'em,  did  yer  ?" 

"No,  I  didn't." 

"Well,  now,  Mr.  Gould,  when  did  yer  fust  know 
you  wuz  goin'  teu  be  er  witness  in  this  case  ?" 

"It  wuz  jest  before  ther  fust  trial." 

"Yer  mean  when  Squire  Eaton  heard  ther  case 
in  ther  village,  when  I  wuz  fust  'rested  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Who  told  yer  ter  come  ter  court  then  ?" 

"Ehod  Friend." 

"Hedn't  told  him  before  that  what  yer  see  at 
ther  fire  an'  what  yer  thought  erbout  it?" 

"No." 

"Who  spoke  fust  erbout  it,  you  ter  him,  er  he 
ter  you?" 

"He  spoke  ter  me  fust." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"Don't  remember  exactly." 

"Well,  give  it  ez  nigh  ez  yer  kin." 

"He  said  he  wanted  me  ter  come  ter  court  an' 

155 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

tell  that  I  seen  yer  comin'  out  uv  ther  barn  be 
fore  his  wife  hollered  fire." 

"That  wuz  ther  fust  thing  he  sed  ter  yer  erbout 
ther  fire?" 

"Yes." 

"An'  yer  hedn't  said  er  thing  ter  him  erbout 
it  before  that?" 

"No." 

"An'  yer  hedn't  told  him  that  yer  seen  me  er 
comin'  out  uv  ther  barn  before  he  sed  that  ?" 

"No,  I  hedn't." 

"Well,  how  did  he  know  yer  knew  anything 
erbout  it  then  ?" 

The  witness  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and,  being 
pressed  for  an  answer,  finally  replied  that  he 
didn't  know. 

"So  fur,  so  good,"  said  Still.  "Now,  Mr. 
Gould,  we'll  take  ernother  tack.  Hezn't  Ehod 
Friend  got  er  mortgage  on  all  yer  property?" 

The  district  attorney  immediately  jumped  to 
his  feet  and  objected  to  the  question.  "Please, 
your  honor,"  he  said,  "there  have  been  a  number 
of  questions  asked  by  the  defendant  that,  in  my 
opinion,  I  could  properly  have  objected  to.  But 
I  realized  that  he  was  conducting  his  own  case 

156 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  had  not  had  a  legal  training,  and  consequent 
ly  I  have  said  nothing.  But  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  matter  has  now  got  so  far  that  it  is  my  duty 
to  object.  I  fail  to  see  what  bearing  the  question 
of  Gould's  debts  have  upon  this  case." 

"What  do  you  say,  Mr.  Gott?"  inquired  the 
judge.  "You  must  remember  that  any  question 
you  ask  must  relate  to  this  case." 

"Judge,"  replied  Still,  "I  dunno  any  law,  but 
ef  ther  witness  answers  ther  way  I  think  he  will, 
it'll  hev  quite  er  lot  ter  do  with  this  case.  I 
don't  want  ter  let  ther  cat  out  uv  ther  bag  jest 
yet,  but  she's  in  there,  er  squirmm',  an'  ther 
strings  are  untied,  an'  she'll  be  out  pretty  soon, 
ef  I  don't  miss  my  guess." 

"The  witness  may  answer  the  question,"  said 
the  judge. 

"Now,  Gould,  in  case  yerVe  forget  what  I  sed, 
I'll  ask  yer  ergin.  Hezn't  Ehod  Friend  got  er 
mortgage  on  all  yer  property — farm,  cow,  en' 
ev'rything  else,  'cept  yer  wife  an'  girl  ?" 

"Yes,  he  hez;  but  that's  got  nothin'  ter  do 
with  this,"  replied  Gould. 

"Mebbe  not,"  said  Still.  "Howsomever,  we'll 
go  erhead  an'  see.  Mortgage  been  overdue  some 

157 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

time,  hezn't  it?" 

"Yes,  some  time." 

"Wuz  overdue  at  ther  time  uv  ther  fire,  wuzn't 
it?" 

"Guess  so." 

"Guess  so,  eh?  Didn't  yer  tell  me  last  spring 
that  Rhod  Friend  had  threatened  ter  foreclose 
on  yer?" 

"Perhaps  I  did.    Don't  remember." 

"Well,  hedn't  he?* 

"Yes." 

"Well,  now,  jumpin'  over  ter  ther  day  yer  hed 
yer  talk  with  him  erbout  ther  fire,  did  he  say 
anything  ter  yer  erbout  ther  mortgage  ?" 

"Yes,  somethin',"  said  the  witness  in  a  hesitat 
ing  tone. 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"Don't  remember." 

'T)on't  remember,  eh?  Well,  let's  see  ef  I 
kin  prod  yer  mem'ry  er  little.  Didn't  he  tell  yer 
somethin'  erbout  yer  goin'  ez  er  witness  in  this 
case,  an'  then  say  er  thing  er  two  erbout  ther 
mortgage  ?" 

"Yes,  he  did." 

"Well,  now,  tell  ther  jury  an'  judge  what  he 

158 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

sed  ez  nigh  ez  yer  kin." 

"He  sed  that  he  wanted  me  ter  say  that  I  see 
yer  comin'  out  uv  ther  barn  jest  before  ther  fire 
broke  out,  an'  he'd  hold  still  erbout  ther  mort 
gage  fer  erwhile." 

"Jesso,  jesso,"  said  Still.  "Well,  yer've  done 
it,  ain't  yer  ?" 

"Yes,  I  hev." 

"Well,  now,  could  yer  hev  sworn  it  wuz  me 
comin'  out  uv  that  barn  that  night  ef  you'd  been 
asked  ther  next  day  erbout  it  ?" 

"Dunno  ez  I  could,"  was  the  reply. 

"How  fur  wuz  yer  frum  ther  barn  when  yer 
heard  Friend's  wife  holler  fire  ?" 

"Couldn't  say." 

"Hevn't  yer  sworn  when  ther  district  attorney 
asked  yer  erbout  it,  that  it  wuz  er  few  minutes 
after  yer  passed  ther  barn  before  yer  heard  Miss 
Friend  holler  fire?" 

"Yes,  I  did." 

"Well,  how  fur  do  yer  think  yer  walked  in 
those  few  minutes?" 

"Mebbe — I  couldn't  say.  Quite  er  piece,  I 
guess." 

"Mr.  Gould,  yer've  sworn  that  at  fust  when  yer 

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STILLMAN     GOTT 

see  ther  man  comin'  out  uv  ther  barn  yer  thought 
it  wuz  Khod  Friend.  Now  did  yer  ever  change 
yer  mind  till  Friend  sent  fer  yer  an'  told  yer 
what  he  wanted  yer  ter  say,  an'  then  sort  uv  re 
minded  yer  erbout  ther  mortgage  ?" 

"Don't  know  as  I  did." 

"That'll  do/'  said  Still. 

This  closed  the  case  for  the  government. 

In  defence,  as  Still  started  to  testify,  the  judge 
remarked : 

"Mr.  Gott,  you  are  not  obliged  to  testify  if 
you  don't  want  to." 

"No,"  replied  Still,  "don't  s'pose  I  am,  but  I 
guess  I  will." 

Still  then  took  the  stand  and  told  the  same 
story  that  he  had  previously  told  the  sheriff  at 
the  time  of  his  arrest.  He  then  continued  as 
follows : 

"When  ther  fire  wuz  over,  I  went  home  an' 
thought  ther  whole  thing  over,  as  to  how  it 
ketched.  I  met  Miss  Friend  on  ther  road  one 
day,  an'  she  told  me  erbout  Friend  doin'  his 
milkin'  jest  ez  he  hez  swore.  So  erbout  er  week 
er  two  after  ther  fire  I  went  up  there  one  day 
when  I  knowed  Friend  wuz  erway,  an'  poked 

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STILLMAN     GOTT 

eround  in  ther  ashes  an*  dirt,  an'  I  found  this/' 
and  as  he  spoke  he  took  out  of  his  coat  pocket 
part  of  a  lamp,  and  the  bottom  part  of  a  lamp 
chimney.  "I  found  'em,"  he  resumed,  "in  ther 
spot  where  ther  tie-up  wuz,  an'  right  where  I  see 
ther  fire  burnin'  when  I  fust  opened  ther  barn 
door." 

The  sharp  questioning  of  the  district  attorney 
brought  out  nothing  new,  and  did  not  in  any  way 
cause  Still  to  change  his  story. 

Finally  the  district  attorney  asked,  "Mr.  Gott, 
how  did  it  happen  that  you  were  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Mr.  Friend's  barn  on  that  particular 
night?" 

"I  wuz  out  on  er  little  private  matter,"  an 
swered  Still. 

"Private  matter,  eh?  Calling  on  some  lady 
friend?"  asked  the  district  attorney. 

"Lord,  no,"  said  Still,  smiling.  "I  hain't  called 
on  er  woman  fer  more'n  thirty  years,  an'  prober- 
bly  never  shall,  unless  I  lose  my  mind.  I'm  too 
old  now  ter  be  lookin'  'round  fer  some  one  ter 
set  up  with.  Got  past  my  day  fer  those  things." 

"Well,  tell  me  where  you  had  been  then." 

"Now,  look  here,  Mr.  Lawyer,  where  I  wuz,  er 

161 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

what  I  wuz  doin',  hain't  got  nothin'  ter  do  with 
this  case.  I  ain't  ershamed  uv  what  I  wuz  doin' 
that  night,  but  f er  ther  sake  uv  some  other  folk's 
feelin's  I'd  ruther  not  tell." 

"Answer  the  question/'  ordered  the  judge. 

"All  right,  judge,  if  you  say  answer  it  I'll  do  it, 
but  I'm  sorry  I've  got  ter.  Ther  truth  is  that  I'd 
heard  that  Sam  Peters'  folks  wuz  havin'  er  hard 
time  gittin'  erlong,  an'  so  I  went  up  there  after 
dark  an'  left  er  pertater  bag  full  uv  stuff  fer 
'em  on  their  back  porch.  Sam  used  ter  go  ter 
school  with  me,  an'  hez  allers  been  er  hard 
workin',  steddy  feller,  an'  I  wuz  sorry  fer  him  an* 
thought  I'd  sort  uv  help  him  out  without  lettin* 
him  know  who  done  it,  'cause  Sam's  kind  uv 
proud.  Cat's  out  uv  ther  bag  now,  an'  I'm  sorry 
I  hed  ter  tell  it,  but  that's  where  I'd  been  that 
night." 

"That  is  all,"  said  the  district  attorney,  and 
Still  left  the  witness  stand  and  took  his  seat. 

The  case  was  closed  as  far  as  the  evidence 
went,  and  the  judge  inquired,  "Do  you  wish  to 
argue  the  case?" 

"Judge,"  said  Still,  "I  dunno  ez  I  want  ter 
argue  any,  but  I  would  like  ter  talk  er  little  ter 

162 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ther  jury  an'  go  over  er  few  p'ints  with.  'em." 

"Proceed,"  said  the  judge. 

"Mr.  Foreman,  an'  gentlemen,  an'  yer  honor," 
said  Still,  "I  ain't  no  lawyer,  an'  I  ain't  goin'  ter 
make  no  speech,  but  I  want  ter  call  your  atten 
tion  ter  two  er  three  p'ints  in  this  case.  I've 
been  listenin'  ter  what  ther  judge  hez  been  sayin' 
ter  ther  juries  in  several  other  cases  'fore  mine, 
an'  I've  found  out  that  ther  law  says  er  man's 
innercent  till  er  jury  says  he's  guilty.  So  ter 
start  with,  I'm  innercent,  an'  ther  fact  that  I'm 
arrested  don't  count  nothin'.  I'm  guilty  only 
when  yer  decide  I  am,  judgin'  from  ther  evidence 
yer  hear.  In  ther  next  place,  ther  judge  sed 
that  whoever  makes  er  statement  must  back  it 
up.  He  didn't  say  jest  them  words.  He  sed 
somethin'  that  I  didn't  ketch  erbout  burden  uv 
proof  an'  so  on;  but  it  ermounts  ter  that. 
So  that  ef  two  fellers  should  tell  yer  two  dif 
ferent  stories  erbout  ther  same  thing,  you'd  hev 
ter  give  ther  benefit  uv  ther  doubt  ter  ther  feller 
what's  accused. 

"Now  what  kind  uv  er  case  hev  they  got 
erginst  me?  Ehod  Friend,  ther  man  who  wuz 
last  in  ther  barn,  left  er  lamp  there,  an' 

163 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

he  knows  it.  An'  he  left  it  in  such  er  place  that 
one  uv  ther  cows  kicked  it  over  er  it  fell  over,  an' 
that's  what  sot  ther  barn  afire.  He  admits  he 
took  er  lamp  out  to  ther  barn,  but  he  tried  ter 
make  yer  believe  he  took  it  inter  ther  house  ergin. 
Did  he  ?  Not  much.  He  knows  it,  an'  that  poor, 
scared  critter  uv  er  wife  uv  his  knows  it,  too. 
Where  is  ther  lamp  now?  What  become  uv  it? 
Why,  it  disappeared  ther  mornin'  after  ther  fire, 
an'  Friend  bought  er  new  one,  an'  told  his  wife 
not  ter  say  nothin'  erbout  it.  What  did  he  do 
that  f  er  ?  Erf  raid  some  uv  ther  neighbors  would 
think  he  wuz  puttin'  on  style  er  gittin'  generous  ? 
No,  sir.  He  knew  that  ef  ther  story  erbout  ther 
lamp  leaked  out,  he  couldn't  lay  it  on  me  erbout 
ther  barn  burnin'. 

"Then  top  uv  ther  lamp  goin'  out  uv  sight  ez 
fer  ez  ther  house  is  concerned,  yer  hev  ther  pieces 
uv  er  lamp  I  picked  up  out  uv  ther  ashes  uv  ther 
barn.  I  guess  we'll  leave  ther  lamp  just  where 
Friend  left  it,  in  ther  barn.  An'  then  Joe  Gould 
takes  ther  stand,  middlin'  sober  fer  him,  an'  he 
tells  er  story  because  he  had  ter,  er  lose  all  he 
hed  in  ther  world.  Take  his  story  with  er  pinch 
uv  salt,  gentlemen.  Yes,  I  guess  yer  better  pickle 

164 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

it.  Ther  only  man  he  see  before  ther  fire  was 
Shod  Friend  himself  er  goin'  ter  ther  house  with 
ther  milk.  He  thought  it  wuz  Friend,  an'  he 
never'd  thought  diff' rent,  ef  he  hadn't  been  made 
ter. 

"An'  then  ther  queerest  thing  uv  all,  ther  very 
man  they'd  make  yer  believe  sot  ther  fire,  is  seen 
helpin'  Friend  git  his  wagon  out !  An'  ef  I  didn't 
let  ther  cattle  out,  who  did  ?  Not  er  soul  claims 
he  done  it,  an'  yet  they  wuz  saved.  If  I  sot  ther 
barn  afire,  would  I  stay  there  to  save  cattle  ?  Ef 
I  hated  Ehod  Friend  an'  sot  his  barn  afire  so's  ter 
make  him  lose  money,  why  wouldn't  I  let  ther 
cattle  burn  too,  an'  let  it  cost  him  more  rather'n 
less  ?  Take  ther  stories  an'  think  'em  over.  Is  it 
true  er  correct  ?  Is  it  common  sense  ?  Is  it  any- 
thin'  but  ther  story  uv  er  man  who  wuz  bound 
ter  lay  it  on  ter  me  ef  he  could?  It's  erbout  ez 
crazy  ez  what  Lorindy  Robinson  sed  when  her 
husband,  Timothy,  joined  ther  Masons.  Tim  wuz 
sort  uv  foolin'  with  some  of  the  members  before 
the  meetin',  an'  by  accident  put  his  hand  on  ther 
top  uv  'n  air  tight  stove  and  burnt  it,  an'  Lorindy 
sed  to  her  dyin'  day  that  that  wuz  ther  way  ther 
Masons  branded  him.  I  don't  ask  yer  to  pay  any 

165 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

attention  to  what  I  sed  in  my  own  behalf.  Throw 
that  all  out,  ef  yer  want  ter,  an'  take  ther  stories 
uv  Rhoderick  Friend  who  hates  me,  his  wife,  who 
don't  dare  ter  say  her  soul  is  her  own,  an'  then 
ther  story  uv  Joe  Gould,  who  is  owned  body  an' 
soul  by  Friend,  and  then  this  county  haint  got  er 
leg  ter  stand  on. 

"I  don't  want  yer  ter  let  me  go  because  there's 
some  weak  spot  in  ther  evidence;  I  don't  want 
yer  ter  let  me  go  if  there's  even  er  sneakin'  no 
tion  in  yer  mind  that  I'm  guilty,  but  I  want  yer 
ter  let  me  go  because  yer  believe  from  ther  bot 
tom  uv  yer  hearts  that  I'm  an  innercent  man.  It's 
gittin'  nigh  noon  now,  an'  ez  soon  ez  ther  county 
attorney  an'  ther  judge  hev  talked  ter  yer,  yer'll 
hev  er  chance  ter  think  this  whole  thing  over,  an' 
make  up  yer  minds. 

"Mr.  Foreman  an'  gentlemen,  what  er  yer 
goin'  ter  do  with  me  ?  If  I'm  guilty,  send  me  ter 
prison  with  yer  votes,  an'  if  I'm  innercent,  send 
me  home.  Yer  may  think  that  my  home  don't 
mean  much  ter  me.  There  ain't  no  wife  nor  no 
children  er  waitin',  nothin'  there  but  an  old  dog 
an'  ther  stock,  but  it's  home  jest  ther  same  ter 
me;  it's  ther  place  where  I  wuz  born,  an'  ther 

166 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

place  where  my  father  an'  mother  lived  an'  died. 
Lonesome  ez  it  is,  it's  ez  sacred  ter  me  ez  your 
homes  are  ter  you,  an'  I  wouldn't  want  ter  see  it 
ergin  if  I  wuzn't  fit  ter  go  inter  it.  Send  me 
home,  gentlemen,  ter  take  up  my  work  where  I 
left  it  off  this  mornin',  send  me  home  ter  my 
good  neighbors  an'  friends,  send  me  home,  sayin' 
by  your  votes  that  I'm  an  innercent  man. 

"Mr.  Foreman  an'  gentlemen  uv  ther  jury,  I 
see  er  picture  once  uv  Justice.  It  wuz  standin' 
with  er  bandage  over  its  eyes,  holdin'  er  pair  uv 
scales.  The  idee  wuz  that  Justice  couldn't  see  no 
body  nor  nothin'  so's  not  ter  be  prejerdiced,  and 
ez  ther  scales  went  down  er  up,  so  ther  feller  wuz 
guilty  er  innercent.  Treat  me  jest  that  way. 
Shut  yer  eyes  ter  all  feelin'  fer  er  ergainst  me, 
an'  give  yer  verdict  ercordin'  ez  ther  scales  go  up 
or  down." 

A  slight  burst  of  applause  was  quickly  sup 
pressed,  and  the  district  attorney  addressed  the 
jury  in  a  half-hearted  manner,  as  though  he  real 
ized  that  the  case  of  the  prosecution  was  a  weak 
one. 

The  judge  then  charged  the  jury,  stating  the 
law  governing  such  cases,  and  the  jury  retired  to 

167 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

their  room. 

It  did  not  seem  as  though  five  minutes  had 
elapsed  before  they  returned,  and  when  ques 
tioned  by  the  clerk  of  court  as  to  whether  they 
had  agreed  upon  a  verdict,  the  foreman  of  the 
jury  replied  that  they  had,  and  added  in  a  firm 
voice,  "not  guilty." 

Still  arose  from  his  seat,  and  the  judge  said, 
"Mr.  Gott,  the  jury  have  found  you  not  guilty  of 
the  charge,  and  I  feel  called  upon  to  say  that  I 
regard  their  verdict  as  a  just  and  correct  one." 

"Thank  yer,  judge,"  replied  Still,  "an'  you,  too, 
Mr.  Foreman  an'  gentlemen.  There  ain't  no 
black  mark  on  my  name  now,  'cause  yer've  said 
that  I  didn't  do  it,  but  ther  sting  uv  ther  thing 
is  left,  an'  that  won't  go  away  fer  some  time  ter 
come.  I  ain't  blamin'  nobody  fer  that,  ez  it's 
ther  risk  ev'ry  man  takes,  but  I  want  ter  be 
erlone  erwhile  'till  I  get  settled  down  ergin,  an' 
then  ther  less  my  friends  say  erbout  ther  whole 
thing  ther  better  I'll  like  it." 


CHAPTER 
FOURTEEN 

A  few  days  later,  Allan  Carter  and  some  of  the 
other  near  neighbors  saw  the  dory  of  Still  headed 
toward  the  shore  of  Sheep  island,  and  inquiry  at 
the  farm  adjoining  the  little  home  of  Still  en 
abled  them  to  learn  the  truth  of  the  matter. 

Still  had  made  arrangements  for  one  of  his 
neighbors  to  look  after  his  live  stock  for  several 
months,  and  had  announced  his  determination  to 
pass  the  winter  on  the  island,  cutting  cordwood 
and  living  in  the  log  camp  that  stood  on  his  lot. 

For  several  weeks  Allan  Carter  did  not  intrude 
on  Still's  privacy,  and  then,  armed  with  a  basket 
of  eggs  and  some  fresh  baked  bread,  he  rowed 
across  the  bay  to  visit  his  friend  and  attempt  to 
induce  him  to  return  to  the  mainland.  The 
shore  was  soon  reached,  but  the  camp  was  empty 
and  cold.  As  Allan  Carter  stood  wondering  in 
what  direction  he  should  go  in  order  to  find  Still, 
the  sharp  chop  of  an  axe  as  it  struck  into  the  side 

169 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

of  a  tree  told  him  where  the  solitary  man  could 
be  found. 

A  short  walk  through  the  woods  and  over  the 
ledges  brought  him  to  an  open  space,  and  he  saw 
Still  just  bringing  a  large  spruce  tree  to  the 
ground.  The  cracking  of  the  brush  announced 
the  approach  of  some  one,  and  Still  turned 
around  in  time  to  see  Allan  Carter  at  his  side. 

"Hi,  Allan,"  he  said,  as  he  wiped  the  sweat 
from  his  forehead  with  the  back  of  his  hand, 
"ruther  blust'ry  day  to  go  visitin',  ain't  it  ?" 

"Well,  it  isn't  the  best  day  in  the  world,"  re 
plied  Allan,  "but  Mary  sent  you  some  eggs  and 
things,  and  so  I  thought  I'd  hunt  you  up  instead 
of  leaving  them  in  the  camp. 

"Much  obliged  ter  Mrs.  Carter,"  said  Still; 
"eggs  is  eggs  this  time  uv  year,  what  with  the 
hens  layin'  only  half  time,  an'  I  wuz  erbout  run 
out  uv  that  kind  uv  fruit.  Let's  walk  back  ter 
ther  camp.  It's  erbout  time  ter  eat  ergin,  an* 
seem'  I've  got  comp'ny,  I  shall  hev  ter  git  out 
my  best  dishes  an'  er  new  tablecloth  an'  polish 
up  ther  silver  spoons,"  he  added  with  a  laugh. 

The  two  men  walked  back  to  the  camp  in  si 
lence,  each  wondering  what  the  other  was  about 

170 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

to  say — Still  asking  himself  what  the  special  er 
rand  of  Allan  could  be,  for  which  the  eggs  were 
only  an  excuse,  and  Allan  trying  to  imagine  how 
Still  would  take  the  remarks  he  intended  to 
make. 

The  homely  meal  was  soon  eaten,  the  dishes 
washed  and  put  away,  and  the  two  men  sat  down 
by  the  old  rusty  wood  stove  and  lighted  their 
pipes. 

"Still,"  said  Allan,  at  length  breaking  the  si 
lence,  "it  seems  to  me  as  though  you  are  kind  of 
foolish  staying  over  here  alone.  I  think  you  had 
better  come  back  and  stay  around  awhile,  and  as 
soon  as  I  get  the  rest  of  my  fall  work  done  I  will 
come  over  with  you,  and  we  will  chop  your  wood, 
and  then  some  on  my  wood  lot.  Turn  and  turn 
about,  you  know.  Then  again,  suppose  you 
should  be  sick  or  get  hurt,  you  might  suffer  for 
days  before  any  one  knew  it.  Don't  you  think 
you'd  better  come  back?" 

"Allan,"  said  Still,  "er  better  friend  than  you 
never  lived,  an'  no  one  knows  it  better'n  I  do. 
I'm  here,  an'  I'm  goin'  ter  stay  'till  I  git  good 
an'  ready  ter  go  back.  Ez  fer  bein'  sick  er  gettin* 
hurt,  don't  yer  fret  er  bit.  When  I  wuz  on  here 

171 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

last  summer  sort  uv  cruisin'  round  er  few  days,  I 
practiced  sendin'  Tige  down  ter  Jim  Conary's 
with  er  letter  tied  eround  his  neck.  Jim  an'  I 
hed  lots  uv  fun  doin'  it,  an'  I  made  up  my  mind 
that  dog  could  do  most  anything  but  talk.  So's 
fer  ez  bein'  sick  er  hurt  is  concerned,  I'll  be  all 
right;  an'  ez  fer  ez  lonesomeness  is  concerned, 
there's  somethin'  goin'  on  all  ther  time  over  here. 
When  I'm  in  ther  camp  ther  dog's  comp'ny,  an' 
in  ther  woods,  ther's  ther  deer,  an'  rabbits,  an' 
pa'tridges  ter  watch  when  I'm  restin',  an'  I  like 
ter  watch  'em,  an'  let  'em  find  out  I  won't  hurt 
'em. 

"If  yer  ever  try  it,  you'll  be  surprised  at 
what's  goin'  on  in  ther  woods.  Jest  go  up  er 
wood  road,  set  down  on  er  knoll,  keep  quiet  an' 
listen.  Fust  you  know,  you'll  hear  er  little  pat- 
terin'  over  ther  leaves,  an'  er  little  wood  mouse'll 
go  by.  Then'll  come  er  little  louder  noise,  an'  er 
rabbit'll  hop  out,  an'  when  he  sees  yer,  he'll  set 
up  an'  work  his  nose  at  yer.  In  er  minit  er  two 
ther  tops  uv  ther  trees'll  begin  ter  whisper  ter 
one  ernother,  er  groanin'  over  somethin'  jest  ez 
if  they  wuz  complainin',  an'  er  couple  uv  red 
squirrels  will  git  ter  quarrellin'.  Pooty  soon  er 

172 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

couple  uv  pa'tridges'll  go  whirrin'  by,  an'  then 
yer'll  hear  er  snort,  an'  if  yer  look  up  quick 
there'll  be  er  big  buck  lookin'  at  yer  with  them 
big  brown  eyes  uv  his,  an'  away  he'll  go  er 
crashin'  through  ther  bushes. 

"Then  ev'ry  thin'll  be  still  fer  er  while,  an' 
ther  very  silence'll  seem  ter  be  singin'  er  hymn 
ter  yer.  It's  real  quietin',  Allan,  lettin'  ther 
woods  an'  ther  things  in  'em  talk  ter  yer  an'  sort 
uv  comfort  yer,  an'  let  yer  see  that  God  made 
things  erbout  right,  an'  that  they  stay  so  ez  long 
ez  people  don't  go  to  fussin'  with  'em  an'  turnin' 
ther  whole  plan  topsy  turvy.  I  guess  I  can  git 
more  peace  an'  happiness  over  here  than  I  can 
on  ther  Neck  jest  at  present. 

"Yer  see,  Allan,  I  haint  felt  reel  pleasant  since 
I  wuz  'rested  fer  barn  burnin'.  Most  uv  ther 
people  on  ther  other  side  uv  ther  bay  do  their 
duty  by  their  God,  their  families,  and  their  neigh 
bors,  but  there's  er  few  that's  ez  mean  ez  pusley, 
an'  I  want  er  chance  ter  sort  uv  fergit  'em.  I'm 
feelin'  er  little  ugly  now,  an'  ef  I  stay  over  here 
this  winter  I'll  git  over  it.  Er  lazy  man  never 
makes  er  good  Christian,  an'  in  my  opinion  ther 
best  thing  fer  er  man  who  is  feelin'  er  leetle  cross 

173 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

grained  is  ter  go  ter  work  an'  keep  at  it  fer 
erwhile.  So  I  guess  I  won't  go  back.  Glad  ter 
see  yer  an'  any  uv  ther  folks  any  time,  but  I'll 
stay  on  the  island  a  spell  longer,  I  guess,  till  I 
git  er  little  more  sweetened  up." 

The  tone  in  which  Still  spoke  told  Allan  that 
further  argument  was  unnecessary  and  useless, 
and,  after  a  few  moments'  further  conversation 
upon  general  topics,  he  left  the  island  and  went 
back  to  Bartlett  Neck. 


CHAPTER 
FIFTEEN 

"Hello,  Still,  hello ;  wake  up,  wake  up."  Bang, 
bang,  and  the  door  of  the  camp  rattled  and  shook 
until  it  seemed  as  though  the  hinges  would  drop 
off. 

"Yep,"  came  the  answer  from  within.  "Wait 
er  minute,  till  I  draw  on  some  clothes,"  and  the 
next  minute  the  door  was  opened  and  the  voice 
of  Still  was  heard  in  the  darkness  saying :  "Come 
in,  whoever  yer  are.  This  is  no  night  ter  stand 
'round  outdoors  admirin'  nature.  There's 
er  leetle  too  much  uv  it  floatin'  'round  jest  now. 
Come  in.  Come  in.  Peter  an'  Paul,  ef  it  ain't 
Joe  Gould!  Yer  the  last  man  ter  come  an'  see 
me  after  what  yer  tried  ter  do  ter  me,  an'  I've  er 
good  mind  ter  shet  ther  door  in  yer  face.  But,  ez 
I  wouldn't  keep  er  yaller  dog  out  on  er  night  like 
this,  figgerin'  that  way,  yer  kin  come  in." 

And  then,  having  lighted  a  lamp,  Still  turned 

175 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

toward  the  man  and  said  in  a  hard  voice :  "Now, 
what  do  yer  want  ?  Make  it  short  an'  sweet,  an* 
then  git  out  an'  go  where  yer  belong.  Don't  owe 
yer  nothin',  do  I?" 

"Still,"  said  Joe,  in  a  choked,  strained  voice, 
"my  little  Bessie  is  dyin',  I  think.  She's  been 
complainin'  fer  er  few  days  uv  er  sore  throat,  an' 
now  she  ean't  talk  an'  she's  full  of  fever,  an' 
1  guess  it's  dipthery,  an'  if  I  don't  hev  er  doctor 
soon  she'll  die  sure.  I  want  yer  ter  go  across  an' 
git  one.  I'm  ashamed  ter  ask  yer;  I'd  go  myself, 
but  I  can't  leave  her  long  enough  alone  ter  go, 
an'  ev'rybody's  got  their  boats  hauled  up  'cept 
you.  I  jest  struck  through  the  woods,  an'  I  come 
ter  ask  yer  would  yer  try  an'  git  ercross  fer  me. 
It's  ez  much  ez  er  man's  life  is  wuth  ter  try  it, 
but  I  can't  let  my  little  girl  die." 

And  the  poor  wretch  turned  away  from  Still, 
sat  down  in  a  chair,  and,  leaning  his  head  on  the 
table,  broke  down  completely. 

"Joe  Gould,"  said  Still,  "yer  started  ez  well  ez 
most  uv  ther  boys,  an'  yer  bed  one  uv  ther  best 
women  fer  er  wife  ther  Almighty  ever  let  live. 
But  yer  have  drunk  up  yer  farm,  yer've  drunk 
yer  wife  inter  ther  grave,  an'  last  week  yer  buried 

176 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

her,  an'  now  yer  choppin'  wood  here  on  ther 
island  an'  livin'  from  hand  ter  mouth,  with  that 
little  girl  dyin'  because  yer  hain't  half  fed  er 
clothed  her.  I  ort  ter  take  my  axe  an'  split  yer 
wide  open,  yer  mis'rable,  drunken  beast.  It 
sounds  hard  what  I'm  sayin'  ter  yer,  but  if  I  give 
yer  what  yer  deserve,  I  wouldn't  raise  er  finger 
ef  I  saw  yer  dyin'.  I'm  ergoin',  f er  ther  sake  uv 
ther  woman  what's  in  heaven  er  takin'  ther  fust 
bit  uv  rest  an'  comfort  she's  ever  hed  since  she 
married  yer,  an'  fer  ther  sake  uv  that  little  girl 
who  shouldn't  be  blamed  fer  what  yer've  done. 
Yer  cryin'  over  her  is  ther  fust  decent  thing  I 
known  yer  ter  do  in  twenty  years.  How's  ther 
wind?" 

"Nor'west,  an'  blowin'  er  gale,  Still;  an'  ther 
snow  is  comin'  down  faster'n  I  ever  see  it  in  my 
life.  I  dunno  ez  yer'd  better  try  it.  I  don't  want 
anythin'  ter  happen  ter  yer  through  me;  I've  got 
ernuff  on  my  mind  now.  I  wouldn't  hev  come  af 
ter  yer  at  all,  but  I  jest  couldn't  stand  hearin' 
my  little  girl  moanin',  an'  sayin' :  'Git  er  doctor, 
father,  git  er  doctor.' '; 

Still  looked  out  the  door  and  replied:  "Now, 
look  here,  Joe,  I  kin  see  that  it's  jest  er  howlin' 

177 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

fer  keeps,  an'  it's  er  good,  tough  night,  but  I'm 
goin'  ter  try  ter  git  ercross  an'  git  that  doctor, 
an'  I  guess  I'll  fetch  all  right.  I've  nobody  or 
nothin'  dependent  on  me  'cept  ther  stock  an'  my 
dog,  an'  I  guess  ther  Almighty  makes  er  p'int  uv 
hevin'  some  people  fixed  that  way  fer  jest  such 
cases  ez  this.  I'm  ergoin  ter  try  ter  do  it.  Jest 
wait  till  I  git  my  old  sou'wester  tied  on,  an'  you 
come  down  ter  ther  shore  an'  give  me  er  lift  on 
ther  dory.  Then  we'll  sec  what  kin  be  done.  If 
I  fetch  ther  doctor,  well  an'  good;  an',  if  I  don't, 
you'll  know  that  it's  because  I'm  gone  where  they 
don't  need  no  doctors,  nor  nothin'  else." 

They  both  walked  out  of  the  camp  and  worked 
their  way  through  the  drifts  of  snow  and  over 
the  rocks  down  to  the  shore,  and,  grasping  the 
sides  of  the  dory  which  was  drawn  up  on  the 
beach,  dragged  it  through  the  snow  across  the 
sands  into  the  water. 

Still  seated  himself  in  the  boat,  and  picking  up 
the  oars,  called  out  through  the  storm,  "When  it 
lets  up  er  little,  Joe,  push  her  quick  an'  hard." 

As  he  spoke,  the  wind  ceased  a  moment  as 
though  to  gather  new  strength,  and  as  Joe,  tak 
ing  advantage  of  the  lull  in  the  storm,  put  his 

178 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

shoulders  against  the  boat,  Still  took  a  mighty 
stroke  with  the  oars,  and  in  a  moment  boat  and 
man  were  swallowed  up  in  the  darkness. 

"Le's  see,"  said  Still,  as  the  boat  plunged  into 
a  sea  and  then  mounted  another,  "considerin' 
how  ther  wind  is  blowin'  now,  I  guess  I'll  p'int 
her  about  nor'west  right  up  inter  it,  till  I  git 
under  ther  lee  uv  t'other  shore,  an'  then  if  I  head 
her  down  erlong  shore,  I'll  jest  erbout  fetch  Al 
lan  Carter's  shore,  an'  that's  ther  best  place  ter 
land.  Well,  here  goes  fer  ther  longest  an'  wust 
pull  I've  ever  took,  but  it's  fer  er  sick  baby  an' 
that  settles  it.  Sink  er  swim,  survive  er  perish, 
as  ther  feller  sed,  I  must  keep  her  ergoin'  now." 

The  boat  drove  up  one  sea  and  down  over  an 
other,  and  soon  the  dark  form  of  the  island  had 
disappeared,  and  Still  was  alone. 

"Dunno  ez  I  ever  fully  realized  the  full  force 
uv  that  song,  Tull  fer  ther  shore,'  till  now," 
said  Still  through  his  teeth,  as  he  tightened  his 
grip  on  the  oars,  "but  I'll  take  ther  advice  under 
ther  circumstances  an'  keep  her  er  goin'.  Shan't 
reely  git  ther  whole  thing  till  I  strike  ther  middle 
uv  ther  bay,  an'  then  it'll  be  a  case  uv  pull  ev'ry 
minute  an'  ev'ry  pound." 

179 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  wind  was  apparently  increasing  every  mo 
ment  as  Still  neared  the  central  part  of  the  bay, 
and  for  a  while  it  was  doubtful  whether  the  boat 
was  going  ahead  or  being  driven  back.  But  the 
sturdy,  hardened  muscles  of  the  man  finally  pre 
vailed,  and  little  by  little  the  dory  drove  through 
and  over  the  seas,  and  soon  Still  realized  that  he 
was  approaching  the  shore  of  the  mainland.  For 
every  few  moments,  through  the  wind  tumult  of 
the  storm  as  the  wind  died  down  for  a  moment, 
he  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  raging  waters  as 
they  rushed  against  the  rocky  shore  and  dashed 
themselves  to  pieces  in  their  anger. 

Nearer  and  nearer  he  worked  his  way  toward 
the  shore,  and  soon  the  lessening  force  of  the 
wind  told  him  that  he  was  under  the  lee  of  the 
land.  Turning  the  bow  of  his  boat  down  the  bay, 
he  quickly  neared  his  landing  place. 

Suddenly,  as  he  threw  his  whole  strength  into 
a  mighty  stroke,  a  thole  pin  broke,  the  boat 
turned  and  fell  into  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and 
before  the  sturdy  oarsman  could  recover  himself 
the  dory  was  overturned  and  Still  was  in  the 
water,  with  nothing  but  the  feeble  assistance  of 
an  oar  between  him  and  a  watery  grave.  As  he 

180 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

rose  from  the  water  and  looked  for  the  boat,  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  her  as  she  disappeared  in  the 
darkness. 

"Whew!"  gasped  Still,  as  he  began  swimming 
for  the  shore,  "ruther  sudden  change.  I  wasn't 
cal'lating  goin'  in  swimmin'  this  time  uv  ther 
year,  but  it's  er  case  uv  swim  now  an'  swim  hard, 
or  go  out  with  ther  tide,  ez  ther  minister  sed 
when  he  walked  out  uv  church  behind  ther  bride 
and  groom."  j 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  though  the  brave 
man  would  perish,  but  his  pluck,  and  the  innate 
desire  to  live  that  is  implanted  in  the  breast  of 
every  human  being,  kept  him  up  till  finally  his 
feet  struck  the  sand  and  he  was  safe. 

Taking  a  deep  breath,  he  ploughed  his  way 
up  the  shore  and  through  the  field  to  the  road, 
and  soon  the  night  air  resounded  with  his  calls, 
as  he  rattled  the  latch  of  Allan  Carter's  door. 

"For  heaven's  sake,  Stillman  Gott,  where  are 
you  cruising  a  night  like  this?"  asked  Allen,  as 
he  opened  the  door.  "Come  in,  come  in,  and  let 
me  shut  the  door.  Must  be  something  special 
to  bring  you  off  from  the  island  a  night  like  this." 

"Allan,"  chattered  Still,  "yer  jest  stop  askin' 

181 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

questions,  start  er  fire  in  ther  kitchen  stove,  and 
git  me  some  dry  clothin',  while  I  git  out  of  these 
wet  ones.  And  if  yer've  got  er  drop  of  old  'red 
eye'  handy,  fetch  that  fust.  I  don't  believe  in 
takin'  liquor  'cept  fer  medicine,  but  this  is  one 
uv  those  medicine  times.  Liquor  is  bad  enough 
at  ther  best,  an'  er  man  that  hankers  after  State 
uv  Maine  liquor  hain't  got  much  taste,  but  this 
ain't  no  time  ter  be  squeamish  erbout  what  yer 
drinkin'.  I've  had  er  hard  time  uv  it  so  fer,  an' 
it  hain't  het  my  blood  up  er  single  bit.  Hurry 
up  now,  no  time  ter  spare,  'cause  as  soon  as  I've 
warmed  up  an'  got  my  clothes  changed,  I've  got 
ter  go  clean  over  ter  Hardwick  fer  Doctor  Lufkin. 
Want  yer  hoss  an'  pung,  an'  all  ther  blankets  an' 
robes  you  can  spare.  Keep  movin',  don't  stand 
still,  an'  I'll  tell  yer  about  it  as  we  go  erlong. 
Bessie,  Joe's  girl,  is  awful  sick,  an'  it's  er  case 
uv  doctor  or  die." 

"Still,"  said  Allan,  as  he  bustled  from  one 
thing  to  another,  "Doctor  Lufkin'll  never  go 
out  on  a  night  like  this,  much  less  go  on  to  the 
island.  I'm  sorry  for  Joe,  but  you  might  as  well 
give  up  now  as  any  time.  You're  welcome  to 
the  horse  and  other  things,  but  you're  wasting 

182 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

your  time  and  taking  chances  with  your  health 
that  you  are  not  called  on  to  take/' 

"Allan,  you  keep  movin',  keep  movin';  nothin' 
but  ther  Lord  Almighty  is  goin'  ter  stop  me,  an' 
considerin'  what  I've  been  through  already,  an' 
that  I'm  doin'  this  fer  one  uv  His  little  ones,  I 
guess  He  has  no  objections  ter  my  goin'  the  rest 
uv  ther  way.  Ez  fer  my  health,  ef  I'd  thought 
uv  that  on  ther  start,  I'd  be  in  my  bed  over  in 
them  camp  this  minit.  'Taint  no  pleasure  trip 
I've  taken  so  fer,  an'  I  ain't  borrerin'  yer  hoss 
'cause  I'm  crazy  ter  go  er  sleighin'  ternight." 

All  this  time  Still  was  removing  his  wet  cloth 
ing  and  dressing  himself  in  the  dry  ones  fur 
nished  by  Allan.  As  Carter  picked  up  the  wet 
articles  of  apparel  thrown  aside  by  Still,  he  re 
marked,  "Where's  your  boots,  Still?" 

"Well,  now,  Allan,  when  I  go  in  swimmin'  in 
the  winter,  I  allers  take  my  boots  off,  'cause  yer 
see,  salt  water  makes  'em  kind  uv  hard  and  stiff, 
an'  so  on  this  occasion  when  I  fell  overboard,  I 
trod  water  till  I  could  work  them  boots  off,  an' 
then  I  put  fer  shore.  Yer  take  er  pair  uv  leather 
boots  full  uv  salt  water,  in  er  gale  uv  wind  in 
ther  winter,  an'  there's  somethin'  kind  uv  de- 

183 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

pressin'  about  'em.  Fust  thought  I'd  throw  off 
ther  oilskins.,  too,  but  yer  know  I  bought  'em 
only  er  few  weeks  ago,  an'  ther  boots  wuz  old, 
so  I  hung  on  ter  ther  coat.  Yer  see  it  shed  water 
better  than  ther  boots  did.  Well,  I'm  dressed. 
Let's  go  out  ter  ther  barn." 

They  proceeded  to  the  barn  and  harnessed  the 
horse  into  the  pung,  threw  in  all  the  robes  and 
blankets  they  could  find,  put  a  shovel  in  the  bot 
tom,  and  Still  started  on  his  long,  dreary  drive 
to  Hardwick. 

Every  mile  and  sometimes  oftener,  he  was 
obliged  to  get  out  of  the  pung,  dig  the  snow  away 
from  around  the  horse  and  shovel  a  path  through 
drifts,  while  the  horse  rested  and  recovered  his 
breath  and  strength. 

Soon  the  woods  of  Hale's  road  were  reached 
where  the  snow  had  not  drifted  so  much,  and 
quickening  his  pace,  Still  soon  arrived  at  the 
doctor's  house.  Quickly  blanketing  his  horse, 
he  rang  the  bell,  and  the  door  opened  in  a  few 
moments  and  the  doctor  appeared  clad  in  a  long 
dressing  gown. 

Before  Still  could  make  known  his  errand,  the 
doctor  said  in  a  quick,  impatient  tone,  "I  can't 

184 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

go  out  tonight;  I  am  getting  old,  and  I  have  had 
a  long,  hard  day  of  it,  and  I  must  get  some  rest. 
Who's  sick,  anyway,  and  what  is  the  matter?" 

"Now,  Doc,  you  be  gittin'  yer  things  on,  an' 
grabbin'  yer  medicine  case  an'  tools,  an'  I'll  tell 
yer  all  about  it.  Joe  Gould's  Bessie,  on  Sheep 
island,  is  mighty  sick,  an'  I  guess  it's  dipthery 
or  noomony,  an'  yer  wanted  pretty  bad  an'  mighty 
quick." 

"Still  Gott,  are  you  crazy?  It  would  be  bad 
enough  to  ask  me  to  start  out  a  night  like  this 
for  Bartlett's  Neck  or  Mussell  Point,  but  as  for 
going  over  to  Sheep  island  in  this  storm,  I  can't 
and  I  won't.  So  you  might  as  well  go  back.  It 
may  sound  hard-hearted  to  you,  but  there  is  a 
limit  to  human  endurance  and  to  the  risks  I  am 
obliged  to  take  for  other  people,  and  this  is  ask 
ing  too  much.  Sorry,  Still,  but  I  can't  do  it." 

"Doc,  you  jest  listen  ter  me  er  minit,  an'  yer*!! 
change  yer  mind.  Probably  when  yer  wuz  young 
an'  fust  startin'  out  practising  yer  may  hev 
thought  only  uv  ther  money  yer  wuz  goin'  ter 
make  an'  yer  own  comfort,  but  I've  watched 
yer  er  good  many  years,  an'  I  know  that  fer  er- 
bout  that  same  length  uv  time  yer've  been  think- 

185 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

in*  uv  gittin'  people  well  fust,  an'  yer  pay  next. 
Er  doctor's  not  his  own  boss.  He's  er  servant 
uv  ther  sufferin'  an'  ther  needy,  an'  when  yer 
called,  it's  yer  duty  ter  go  jest  as  much  ez  it 
would  be  mine  ef  er  war  broke  out,  ter  shoulder 
er  gun  an'  go  an'  fight.  That's  all  there  is  ter 
it,  an'  yer  goin'." 

"I  will  not  go,"  said  the  doctor,  as  with  height 
ened  color  he  walked  rapidly  up  and  down  the 
room. 

"Doc,  I've  been  across  once  ternight,  an'  I 
ain't  dead  yit.  An'  if  you  an'  I  git  drowned  goin' 
back  ter  ther  island,  all  I've  got  ter  say  is  that 
we've  got  to  die  some  time,  an'  we  couldn't  die 
no  better  way  than  tryin'  ter  save  ther  life  uv 
er  little  girl.  We  may  not  git  our  names  in  ther 
papers  ez  heroes,  er  wear  any  medals,  if  anythin' 
should  happen  ter  us,  but  in  the  big  book  above 
our  names  will  be  writ  in  large  print.  Now  we've 
wasted  time  enough,  an'  I'm  goin'  ter  say  jest 
one  thing  more  ter  yer.  It  may  sound  tough  an' 
ez  if  I  wuz  ugly  an'  put  out  with  yer,  but,  Doc, 
git  yer  things  on  an'  git  ready  in  erbout  er  minit, 
fer  as  God  Almighty  hears  me  speak,  an'  as  I  ex 
pect  some  day  ter  stand  before  Him  an'  answer 

186 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

fer  all  my  doin's  in  this  world,  you're  goin'  ter 
Sheep  island  with  me  ternight,  willin'  or  not  will- 
in',  if  I  hev  tei'  knock  yer  down,  tie  yer,  an'  carry 
yer  on  my  back.  You  can  take  your  choice,  dyin' 
on  ther  road,  or  dyin'  here,  fer  go  yer  shall." 

The  doctor  looked  into  the  blazing  eyes  of 
Still,  turned  pale,  and  said  in  a  low  voice,  "I'll 
go,  Still,  I  might  as  well,  for  I  know  you  mean 
what  you  say.  It  is  against  my  best  judgment 
and  against  my  wishes,  but  I  realize  that  you  are 
desperate  at  this  moment,  and  I  must  go." 

Putting  on  his  overcoat,  hat  and  gloves,  the 
doctor  took  his  medicine  case  and  walked  with 
Still  out  to  the  pung.  Still  put  the  doctor  in  the 
bottom  of  the  pung,  covered  him  with  all  the 
robes  and  blankets  except  one  that  he  kept  for 
himself,  and  the  journey  back  to  Allan  Carter's 
was  accomplished  in  a  much  shorter  time  than 
it  had  taken  Still  to  reach  the  doctor's  house,  for 
the  snow  had  ceased  falling  and  the  roads  had 
been  somewhat  broken  by  the  previous  journey. 

After  the  horse  and  pung  had  been  returned 
to  the  barn,  the  doctor,  Allan  and  Still  walked 
down  to  the  shore  and  proceeded  to  get  Allan 
Carter's  dory  ready  for  the  journey  to  the  island. 

187 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  weather  had  cleared,  and  it  was  fast  grow 
ing  colder,  but  the  wind  had  not  diminished  any, 
and  the  angry  waves  as  they  dashed  against  the 
rocks  and  threw  themselves  in  a  white  foam 
into  the  air  did  not  encourage  the  doctor  or 
make  him  feel  any  more  inclined  to  take  the 
journey.  But  when  he  looked  up  at  Still  in  a 
questioning  way,  the  stern  look  he  received  in 
return  convinced  him  that  any  argument  would 
be  useless,  and  he  held  his  peace. 

The  moon  looked  down  on  them  in  calm  in 
difference,  the  countless  stars  twinkled  as  though 
opening  their  eyes  in  wonder  at  men  daring  to 
tempt  fate  on  such  a  night,  and  Dark  mountain, 
now  white  with  snow,  seemed  to  the  frightened 
physician  a  gigantic  tombstone  standing  at  the 
head  of  their  watery  grave.  The  journey  to  the 
island  was  one  long  struggle  against  the  elements, 
and  once  the  doctor  in  his  fright  cried  out,  "Turn 
back,  Still,  quick.  We're  gone." 

"No,  Doc,"  was  the  reply,  "we  ain't  gone,  we're 
only  goin'.  An'  we're  goin'  ter  ther  island,  an' 
nowhere  else,  if  ther  Lord  will  let  us,  an'  we  ain't 
gone  till  He  says  so." 

From  that  moment  until  the  bleak  shore  of 

188 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  island  was  reached  the  trip  was  accomplished 
in  silence,  save  for  the  roaring  of  the  wind  and 
the  hissing  of  the  waves  as  they  beat  against  the 
boat,  as  though  angry  because  two  lives  were 
escaping  from  their  remorseless  grasp.  A  land 
ing  was  made,  the  boat  hauled  up  into  a  place 
of  safety,  and  soon  the  men  were  knocking  at 
Joe's  door.  "Here  he  is,  Joe,  here  he  is.  Now, 
Doc,  I've  done  my  duty,  an'  you  do  your'n.  Don't 
want  no  thanks,  Joe;  if  Bessie  gits  well  that's 
pay  enough  f  er  me." 

And  before  anything  could  be  said  by  the 
thankful  father  of  the  child  Still  had  gone  out 
into  the  storm  on  his  way  to  his  lonely  cabin, 
not  even  a  thought  of  having  done  anything  ex 
traordinary  occurring  to  him. 


CHAPTER 
SIXTEEN 

Davenport's  father  and  mother  upon  receiv 
ing  the  news  of  his  engagement  to  Elinor  had 
written  her  letters  of  kindly  congratulation,  the 
mother's  being  full  of  hope  that  the  couple  would 
be  very  happy,  and  without  actually  using  words 
to  that  effect,  yet  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
saying  that  she  hoped  Elinor  would  appreciate 
the  prize  she  had  got,  and  would  be  able  in  time 
to  grow  to  the  position  that  the  wife  of  her  son 
should  occupy.  It  concluded  with  a  polite  invi 
tation  to  visit  her  in  New  York.  The  letter  of 
the  father  was  typewritten  on  a  sheet  of  his  busi 
ness  paper,  and  was  as  follows: — 

New  York  City,  K  Y. 
Miss  Elinor  Day: 

Dear  Miss: — Have  just  received  letter  from 
my  son  under  date  of  Monday  last,  and  note 

190 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

among  the  contents  that  he  is  engaged  to  be 
married,  your  name  being  given  as  that  of  the 
young  lady  of  his  choice. 

Can  simply  state  that  being  my  son,  he  has 
therefore  been  properly  educated,  and  has  se 
lected  the  law  as  a  profession,  although  up  to 
the  time  of  writing  has  apparently  not  progressed 
to  any  extent  beyond  the  matter  of  selection. 
Trust  that  you  will  be  able  to  induce  him  to 
give  more  time  to  his  studies  than  I  have  been 
able  to. 

As  regards  his  ability  to  support  a  wife,  would 
say  that  he  is  my  only  son,  and  therefore  I  can 
guarantee  his  future  in  that  respect.  On  this 
point  would  respectfully  refer  you  to  either  Brad- 
street's  or  Dunn's  Eeports,  or  will  make  detailed 
statement  to  you  personally. 

Mrs.   Davenport   will   probably   write   you    at 
more  length,  the  matter  of  engagements  of  our 
children  being  more  in  her  line. 
Yours  respectfully, 

John  F.  Davenport. 
Dictated. 

All  of  the  young  people  in  the  town  had  also 
191 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

congratulated  her  on  her  engagement,  and  all 
these  things  would  have  made  her  very  happy 
could  her  mind  have  been  free  from  the  fear 
that  she  had  made  a  mistake.  But  there  was 
no  use  of  considering  that  now.  She  had  made 
the  sacrifice,  she  could  only  hope  that  the  reward 
would  be  as  great. 

In  addition  to  the  hope  expressed  in  Mrs. 
Davenport's  congratulatory  letter  that  she  would 
be  able  to  pay  them  a  visit,  she  had  received  a 
formal  invitation  to  do  so,  and  for  a  month  past 
had  heard  nothing  from  her  mother  but  joyful 
remarks  about  her  good  luck  and  how  thankful 
she  ought  to  be  that  she  had  listened  to  her 
mother  and  been  governed  by  her  superior  wis 
dom. 

And  now  the  day  had  arrived  for  her  depar 
ture,  and  the  stage  driver  having  deposited  her 
trunk  on  the  rack  at  the  rear  of  the  stage,  stood 
talking  with  her  father  while  she  bade  her 
mother  good-bye.  She  had  never  been  away 
from  home  over  night  before,  and  it  seemed  to 
the  girl  as  though  she  was  going  away  forever. 

She  clung  to  her  mother  and  kissed  her  again 
and  again,  while  the  ambitious  woman  patted 

192 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

her  and  endeavored  to  reassure  her.  "Now,  Eli 
nor/'  she  said,  "don't  you  be  frightened  er  wor 
ried  one  mite.  You  may  not  hev  so  many  good 
clothes  ez  some  uv  ther  folks  you'll  meet,  al 
though  no  girl  ever  left  the  village  any  better 
fitted  out,  fer  Nancy  Slocum,  who's  made  ev'ry 
decent  dress  that's  ever  been  made  in  Bartlett 
fer  ther  last  fifteen  years,  told  me  so  with  her 
own  lips.  But  one  thing's  certain,  you  know  yer 
manners  all  right,  onless  yer  fergit  all  I've  told 
yer,  an'  you  come  uv  ther  best  stock  in  New  Eng 
land.  One  uv  my  folks  on  mother's  side  come 
over  in  ther  Mayflower,  an'  ef  they  claim  their 
folks  were  over  here  any  earlier'n  that,  then  all 
I've  got  ter  say  is  they're  either  stretchin'  ther 
truth  er  else  there's  Injun  blood  in  'em. 

"You  jest  act  natchrul,  an'  ef  you  don't  please 
'em  it'll  be  because  they  don't  know  er  well 
brought  up  girl  when  they  see  one.  I've  run 
ther  town  of  Bartlett  more  er  less  fer  I  dunno 
how  many  years,  an'  I  guess  ef  you've  got  any 
uv  my  spunk  they  won't  put  on  yer  much.  You'd 
better  write  ter  me  once  in  er  while,  ez  I  don't 
suppose  there'll  be  er  single  thing  in  ther  county 
paper  erbout  it,  although  I  sent  word  ter  ther 

193 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

editor  over  er  week  ergo  sayin'  you  wuz  goin'. 
Good-bye.  Father'll  take  care  uv  yer  till  yer 
well  on  yer  way/' 

And  then  Elinor  and  her  father  climbed  into 
the  stage  and  the  journey  was  begun.  Mr.  Day 
had  decided  to  accompany  his  daughter  as  far 
as  Boston  and  see  her  safely  started  for  New 
York,  where  Davenport  was  to  meet  her.  He 
had  said  next  to  nothing  to  his  daughter  during 
the  week  of  preparation  for  the  coming  event; 
he  rarely  did  when  her  mother  was  present.  But 
daily  there  had  been  a  reassuring  nod  or  a  kindly 
look  which  made  Elinor  know  that  no  matter 
what  might  happen  she  could  count  upon  her 
father's  aid  and  sympathy  if  ever  a  clash  in  opin 
ions  should  arise  between  herself  and  her  mother. 

The  journey  to  the  steamboat  wharf  was  soon 
accomplished,  the  only  change  from  previous 
ones  taken  with  her  father  when  she  had  accom 
panied  him  to  the  village  being  that  the  front 
windows  of  almost  every  house  which  they  passed 
were  ornamented  with  the  faces  of  friends,  young 
and  old,  who  by  waves  of  hands  wished  her  good 
luck  and  happiness  on  her  great  journey  into  the 
world. 

194 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  wharf  was  reached  and  the  two  travellers 
went  aboard  the  steamer,  and  after  depositing 
their  wraps  in  Elinor's  stateroom,  the  father  led 
the  way  to  the  stern  of  the  boat,  and  sitting  down 
said,  "Elinor,  now  that  we  hev  got  under  way, 
and  your  mother  ain't  here  ter  interrupt,  I  want 
tor  hev  er  plain  talk  with  yer  an'  tell  yer  what 
I  think  erbout  this  matter.  I  don't  want  yer  ter 
think  I'm  goin'  ter  say  one  word  ergainst  yer 
mother,  'cause  I  ain't.  I  couldn't  hev  er  better 
wife  then  she's  been  ter  me,  an'  ef  I  wuz  goin' 
ter  begin  all  over  ergin,  I  should  try  ter  git  her 
jist  ez  hard  ez  I  did  forty  years  ergo.  She's  ther 
smartest  woman  in  Bartlett,  but  there  ain't  no 
use  shettin'  our  eyes  ter  ther  fact  that  some 
times  she's  jest  er  leetle  too  smart  fer  her  own 
peace  uv  mind.  She  wuzn't  born  ter  play  no 
second  fiddle  ter  no  one,  an'  what's  more  she 
never  hez.  But  it  strikes  me  that  once  in  er 
while  it's  jest  ez  restful  ter  let  some  one  else  do 
ther  playin'  while  you  do  ther  listenin',  an'  I 
guess  I've  done  more  listenin'  than  playin'.  Yer 
mother  an'  me  never  hed  no  words  'n  all  our  life. 
Sometimes  I  hain't  agreed  with  her,  but  when 
I  see  that  she  wuz  sot  on  doin'  er  thing  Fve  jest 

195 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

let  her  hev  her  head  an'  go  it,  jest  ez  long  ez 
it  didn't  interfere  with  my  runnin'  ther  farm. 
Ef  it  hed  ever  got  to  that  point,  I  sort  uv  imag 
ine  I  sh'd  sot  my  foot  down,  an'  what's  more  sot 
it  down  middlin'  hard. 

"There's  no  denyin'  too  that  er  woman's  f ergot 
more  about  love  than  er  man  will  ever  know,  but 
when  yer  start  ter  put  love  one  -side  an'  simply 
make  er  bargain,  then  it's  fair  ter  guess  er  man 
can  make  er  sharper  one.  Now  I  don't  like  look- 
in'  on  marriage  ez  er  trade,  yer  mother  notwith 
standing  an'  so  I've  hed  this  leetle  talk  with  yer 
so's  yer  could  understand  how  I  felt  erbout  it. 
So  yer  do  jest  ez  yer  hcv  er  mind  ter.  Ef  yer 
hev  him,  well  an'  good;  an'  ef  yer  make  up  yer 
mind  bimeby  that  yer  don't  want  him,  let  him 
go,  ez  long  ez  yer  do  it  fairly  an'  honestly,  an' 
I'll  stan'  by  yer  through  thick  an'  thin.  An' 
whatever  yer  do,  go  slow  an'  make  up  yer  mind 
carefully  an'  then  yer'll  be  all  right.''* 

It  was  the  first  time  in  all  her  life  that  her 
father  had  talked  freely  with  her  and  perhaps 
for  the  reason  that  never  before  had  he  had  the 
opportunity.  She  had  known  that  her  father 
loved  her,  for  he  had  never  used  an  unkind  word 

196 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

towards  her;  but  his  heart  had  never  been 
opened  to  her,  and  she  had  never  realized  the 
depths  of  his  feelings  towards  her.  She  had 
been  acquainted  with  him  all  her  life,  but  now 
she  knew  him,  knew  that  if  ever  the  time  came 
when  she  and  her  mother  differed,  he  would  not 
interfere  until  she  felt  that  she  was  being  de 
feated  in  a  righteous  cause,  and  then  he  would 
be  a  stone  wall  behind  which  she  could  retreat 
and  be  in  safety. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Day  and  Elinor  arrived 
in  Boston,  and  after  a  brief  rest  her  father  placed 
her  on  the  cars  for  Xew  York.  The  old  man 
sat  in  the  seat  with  her  for  a  few  moments,  and 
then  the  engine  bell  began  to  sound  the  warn 
ing  of  departure.  The  father  leaned  down  and 
kissed  the  upturned  face  of  his  daughter  and 
said,  "Good-bye,  little  girl;  hold  up  yer  head 
jest  ez  high  ez  any  uv  'em,  an'  when  yer  git  sick 
an'  tired  uv  'em,  remember  there's  er  home  down 
in  Bartlett  where  they'll  never  be  tired  uv  yer 
ther  longest  day  yer  live.  It'll  seem  sort  uv 
cloudy  down  there  till  yer  bring  ther  sunshine 
back.  Good-b}7e,"  and  he  turned  away  and  left 
the  car,  but  he  lingered  beneath  the  window  at 

197 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

her  seat  until  the  too  impatient  train  drew  out 
of  the  station  and  out  of  his  sight. 

Each  mile  the  train  sped  on  seemed  to  the 
girl  to  be  taking  her  farther  away  from  all  she 
had  in  the  world,  instead  of  nearer  to  an  impa 
tient  and  joyous  lover,  and  when  the  train 
reached  the  approaches  to  New  York  and  plunged 
into  the  intense  blackness  of  the  long  tunnel, 
it  seemed  to  the  traveller  as  though  she  heard 
the  clang  of  the  prison  doors  behind  her,  and 
that  she  was  never  to  emerge  until  the  time 
should  come  to  leave  this  world  for  another  and 
better  one.  The  train  finally  came  to  a  stop, 
and  she  followed  slowly  along  behind  the  rest 
of  the  passengers,  who  to  her  mind  must  all  have 
been  travelling  on  some  matter  of  life  and  death, 
judging  by  the  rush  and  scramble  to  get  out 
of  the  car. 

The  noise  and  confusion  was  appalling.  At 
Bartlett  she  had  seen  perhaps  a  dozen  people 
leave  the  boat  or  go  on  board  when  the  steamer 
arrived,  accompanied  only  by  the  slight  noise  of 
the  deck  hands  wheeling  a  few  truck  loads  of 
trunks  and  merchandise  to  or  from  the  wharf. 
But  here  Bedlam  was  apparently  let  loose.  The 

198 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

sound  of  escaping  steam,  the  ringing  of  bells 
and  the  unintelligible  cries  of  a  drove  of  cabmen 
dismayed  her.  As  she  looked  around,  wondering 
what  she  should  do  or  where  she  should  go,  if 
Davenport  should  fail  to  find  her  in  that  immense 
throng  of  half -crazed  people,  a  voice  said,  "Here 
you  are,  after  all.  By  Jove,  Elinor,  I  began  to 
be  frightened  lest  you  had  not  come.  I  watched 
the  people  get  out  of  all  the  parlor  cars,  and 
really  I  never  dreamed  of  looking  down  at  this 
end  of  the  train.  I  was  about  to  go  when  I  saw 
you.  Lucky,  wasn't  it?  Give  me  your  check 
and  we  will  go  along,"  and  then  he  escorted  her 
through  the  crowd  along  the  station,  and  finally 
turned  through  a  side  door  to  a  carriage,  at  the 
door  of  which  stood  a  young  man  attired  in  a 
long  coat  and  a  regulation  coachman's  hat. 

"Home,  James,"  he  said,  as  he  assisted  Elinor 
into  the  carriage. 

"That  sounds  like  home,  Harry,"  said  the  girl, 
as  she  turned  toward  her  beaming  lover;  "you 
know  down  home  we  all  call  the  stage  driver 
'Horace.'  He  is  an  old  friend  of  every  person 
in  the  town." 

The    only   reply  she  received  was    a  roar    of 

199 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

laughter  from  Davenport. 

"Why,  Harry/'  inquired  the  amazed  girl,  "what 
are  you  laughing  at?" 

"Elinor/'  replied  Harry,  "if  James  had  heard 
you  call  him  a  stage  driver  or  compare  him  with 
one  he  would  have  dropped  dead,  then  and  there. 
He  is  father's  private  coachman,  and  always  ap 
pears  as  though  he  thought  he  was  conferring  a 
great  favor  on  the  family  by  condescending  to  drive 
the  carriage.  I  won't  tell  it  to  him  now,  but  after 
you  have  returned  home,  I'll  break  it  to  him 
gently  and  see  if  he  won't  be  inclined  to  look 
on  the  family  thereafter  a  little  more  favorably. 
I  think  it  will  do  him  a  heap  of  good.  By  the 
way,  I  am  awfully  glad  you  got  here  as  soon  as 
you  did,  as  mother  informed  me  this  afternoon 
that  she  was  going  to  give  a  series  of  dinner  par 
ties  in  your  honor,  and  that  the  first  one  was  to 
be  pulled  off  this  evening.  Awful  bore,  but  of 
course  the  mater  wants  to  do  the  thing  in  shape 
and  so  I  don't  object.  Rather  have  you  all  to 
m}rself,  you  know.  Thought  I  would  just  give 
you  the  tip  so  that  you  would  know  what  was 
coming  this  evening." 

The  carriage  drew  up  to  the  door  of  Daven- 

200 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

port's  home  and  Harry,  leaping  out,  ushered  the 
loved  one  into  the  house.  As  they  walked  into 
the  reception  room,  a  tall,  silver-haired  woman, 
faultlessly  attired,  stepped  forward  and  said, 
"My  dear  girl,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  in  our  home 
and  Harry's  home.  You  are  very  welcome,  and 
I  know  even  now  that  my  son  has  made  no  mis 
take  in  his  choice." 

And  then  a  stout,  clean-shaven  man  with  an 
eye  like  a  hawk  came  up  and  said,  "Glad  to  see 
you,  Miss  Day.  Glad  to  see  any  one  from 
Maine.  Born  there  myself  down  near  Wiscas- 
set.  Changed  some,  I  imagine,  since  I  left  there 
forty  odd  years  ago.  Always  have  intended  to 
take  a  run  down  there  again,  if  I  ever  get  time." 

"And  now,  Elinor,  if  you  will  let  me  call  you 
so,"  said  Mrs.  Davenport,  "perhaps  I  will  ring 
for  your  maid  and  you  can  go  to  your  room,  as 
I  presume  you  may  want  to  rest  a  few  moments 
before  dinner." 

The  girl  followed  the  servant  up  the  stairs  to 
the  room  which  had  been  set  aside  for  her,  and 
for  a  few  moments  was  alone.  The  hardest 
thing,  the  meeting  of  Harry's  parents,  had  been 
successfully  encountered,  and  after  bathing  her 

201 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

face  and  removing  the  stains  of  travel,  she  un 
locked  her  trunk  which  had  been  placed  in  the 
room,  and  taking  out  her  dresses,  carefully 
shook  the  creases  out  of  them  and  hung  them 
in  the  closet.  She  had  about  emptied  the  con 
tents  of  the  trunk  and  placed  the  numerous  ar 
ticles  where  she  Avanted  them,  when  there  was 
a  rap  at  the  door.  As  she  opened  it,  the  maid 
who  had  accompanied  her  to  the  room  stepped 
in  and  said,  "Beg  pardon,  miss,  but  I  thought 
you  would  like  to  have  me  unpack  your  trunk 
before  dinner  and  assist  you  in  dressing." 

"Oh,  I  thank  you  very  much,"  replied  Elinor, 
"but  you  see  I  have  got  the  trunk  all  unpacked, 
and  I  never  had  anyone  help  me  in  dressing 
since  I  was  a  little  girl.  It's  very  kind  of  you, 
I  am  sure,  but  I  won't  trouble  you,"  and  Elinor 
proceeded  to  pick  out  one  of  her  few  dresses 
which  she  thought  would  be  suitable  for  a  party, 
while  the  maid  with  a  smile  on  her  face  returned 
to  other  duties. 

The  dress  which  she  picked  out  was  a  pretty 
white  muslin  with  a  knot  of  blue  ribbon  here 
and  there,  and  had  been  regarded  in  Bartlett 
by  the  favored  few  who  had  seen  it  as  the  crowu- 

202 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ing  point  in  the  dressmaking  life  of  Nancy  Slo- 
cum.  She  went  slowly  down  the  stairs  wonder 
ing  how  her  clothes  would  compare  with  those 
of  the  people  whom  she  was  about  to  meet,  for 
she  was  a  woman,  and  found  the  Davenport  fam 
ily  in  the  drawing  room.  The  two  men  were 
naturally  attired  in  what  the  people  in  Bartlett 
would  have  called  "claw  hammer  coats,"  and 
Mrs.  Davenport,  to  the  eyes  of  the  young  girl, 
was  arrayed  like  Solomon  in  all  his  glory.  She 
felt  that  the  woman  was  surveying  her  critically, 
but  the  men  she  realized  could  not  have  told 
the  next  moment  whether  she  was  attired  in 
silk  or  calico,  for  the  elder  one  was  thinking 
of  the  possible  condition  of  the  stock  market 
the  next  day,  and  the  younger  one  was  in  love, 
and  "love  is  blind." 

The  guests  whom  she  was  to  meet,  were 
friends  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davenport  rather  than 
of  Harry,  and  Elinor,  therefore,  expected  to  see 
a  number  of  old  ladies  and  gentlemen  soberly 
attired.  But  as  the  ladies  entered  the  room  after 
removing  their  wraps,  Elinor  was  positively 
shocked  at  their  scantiness  of  attire  above  the 
waist.  If  any  one  woman,  to  say  nothing  of  a 

203 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

dozen,  had  appeared  in  Bartlett  with  such  a  lack 
of  clothing  she  would  have  been  driven  into 
the  bay  by  such  of  the  populace  as  had  breath 
enough  left  to  enable  them  to  run. 

She  looked  around  the  room,  but  she  saw  no 
one  blushing  or  seeming  to  be  disturbed,  and 
therefore  in  a  few  moments  she  regained  her 
composure,  and  then  the  party  went  to  the  din 
ing  room,  where  Elinor  encountered  food  as  for 
eign  in  taste  as  in  name.  All  this  was  very 
strange  and  unusual  to  the  girl,  but  she  had  got 
through  it  bravely  until  the  first  of  the  wine  was 
brought  to  the  table.  She  quietly  declined  hav 
ing  any,  and  Mr.  Davenport  noticing  the  fact 
said  pleasantly,  "I  see,  Miss  Day,  that  you  have 
brought  your  State  of  Maine  principles  with 
you." 

"Why,  are  such  principles  confined  to  the 
State  of  Maine,  sir?" 

"No,  not  necessarily.  I  believe  there  are  sev 
eral  States  where  they  endeavor  to  legislite 
liquor  away  from  people,  although  as  far  as  I 
know,  the  only  result  has  been  to  cause  one  to 
go  farther  for  it,  pay  a  larger  price,  and  get  a 
much  poorer  quality.  I  propose  to  have  some  of 

204 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  good  things  of  life  myself,  and  not  let  the 
other  fellow  get  them  all.  However,  you  do  as 
you  please.  What  you  don't  want,  don't  have; 
and  what  you  do  want,  I  will  guarantee  you  shall 
have,  if  it  is  in  my  power  to  get  it  for  you." 

He  spoke  so  pleasantly  and  kindly  to  the  girl 
that  she  mentally  thanked  him  for  making  it  so 
easy  to  do  what  she  wished.  The  guests  also 
had  a  pleasant  word  for  her,  and  before  the  din 
ner  was  half  concluded  Elinor  felt  as  much  at 
ease  as  if  she  had  been  in  her  own  home.  The 
hours  flew  by  in  mirth  and  conversation,  and 
finally  one  by  one  the  guests  departed  and  at 
length  Elinor  went  to  her  room.  The  clock  on 
the  mantle  was  striking  the  hour,  and  she 
counted  the  strokes  of  the  bell.  Twelve  o'clock! 
Where  had  the  evening  gone?  Saturday  night 
too,  and  she  must  be  awake  early  in  the  morn 
ing  in  order  to  be  in  time  for  church.  The  light 
was  extinguished,  and  soon  the  tired  maiden  was 
asleep  dreaming  of  Bartlett  and  home. 

The  morning  light  stole  into  her  room,  and 
she  saw  in  a  moment  by  looking  at  the  clock 
that  she  had  naturally  overslept.  It  was  half- 
past  seven!  What  would  they  think  of  her? 

205 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  very  thought  that  they  were  waiting  for 
her  at  the  breakfast  table  caused  her  to  spring 
out  of  bed,  and  hurriedly  dress  and  descend  the 
stairs. 

She  went  into  the  dining  room  an  excuse  on 
her  lips,  but  there  was  no  one  there  and  the 
curtains  were  still  drawn.  Going  into  the  library, 
she  seated  herself  and,  taking  a  book,  began 
reading.  Deeply  engrossed  in  the  story,  she  did 
not  know  anyone  had  entered  the  room,  until 
a  voice  said: 

"Are  you  troubled  with  insomnia,  Elinor,  or 
did  the  fact  that  you  were  in  a  strange  house 
cause  you  to  awake  early?" 

She  looked  up  and  Mrs.  Davenport  was  stand 
ing  before  her.  She  arose  from  her  chair  and 
replied,  "Oh,  no,  not  at  all.  In  fact,  I  overslept, 
as  I  was  very  tired  and  imagined  I  had  been 
causing  you  to  wait  for  me.  It  was  eight  o'clock 
when  I  came  down,  and  I  was  very  glad  to  know 
that  I  was  ahead  of  time  rather  than  behind.  I 
omitted  to  ask  you  last  night  your  breakfast 
hour." 

"Why,  my  dear  girl,"  said  the  elder  woman, 
"you  should  have  remained  abed  until  you  heard 

206 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  bell.     We  breakfast  at  nine,  Sundays." 

The  other  members  of  the  family  entered  the 
room  at  this  moment,  and  soon  they  were  seated 
at  the  breakfast  table.  At  home  Elinor  had 
been  accustomed  to  see  her  father  and  mother 
breakfast  in  somewhat  of  a  hurry,  and  she  was 
surprised  at  the  leisurely  way  the  Davenports 
proceeded.  She  looked  at  the  clock  two  or  three 
times,  until  finally  Harry  noticing  her  glances 
asked,  "What  is  on  your  mind,  Elinor?  Not  go 
ing  anywhere  in  particular,  are  you?" 

"I  was  simply  noticing  the  time,  and  won 
dering  how  much  time  I  would  have  to  dress  for 
church." 

"Church!"  replied  Harry;  "why,  we  never  go 
to  church.  That  is,  not  very  often.  If  there 
is  a  special  preacher  we  go.  I  believe  the  gov 
ernor  owns  a  pew,  and  pays  his  assessments  regu 
larly  for  his  share  of  the  annual  church  debt. 
Mother  goes  quite  often,  I  believe,  but  father 
reads  the  papers  and  magazines,  and  I  generally 
read,  go  to  sleep  again,  or  play  golf,  unless  I  am 
away  yachting.  Generally  try  to  get  away  some 
where  over  Sunday.  Long,  stupid  day,  take  it 
all  together." 

207 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Would  you  like  to  go  to  church,  Elinor?" 
asked  Mrs.  Davenport.  "I  am  afraid  it  is  a  little 
late  now  for  this  morning's  service.  Is  there 
any  particular  church  you  would  like  to  go  to?" 

"No,  I  don't  know  where  to  go.  If  I  were 
choosing  for  myself  I  should  probably  go  to  a 
Baptist  church,  but  I  will  go  wherever  you  wish." 

"Baptist!"  ejaculated  Harry.  "Great  Scot!  I 
doubt  if  one  of  us  knows  where  there  is  one  in 
the  whole  city.  I  should  think  you  would  want 
a  change,  Elinor,  from  the  regulation  thing. 
Why,  when  I  was  in  Bartlett,  I  went  with  you, 
you  know,  and  if  the  service  there  was  a  sample, 
it  was  exceedingly  slow.  Short  prayer,  hymn, 
Bible  reading,  long  prayer,  hymn,  sermon,  hymn, 
benediction. 

"I  would  suggest  that  either  you  go  to  a  high 
Episcopal,  where  you  get  something  spectacular, 
candle,  incense,  acolytes  with  red  robes,  boy 
choir,  banners  and  all  that,  or  else  go  to  the  Uni 
tarian,  where  you  can  hear  some  swell  singing 
and  a  sermon  that  is  up  to  the  times.  Why,  do 
you  know,  I  was  talking  with  the  minister  down 
there  one  day,  and  as  far  as  I  could  find  out  he 
didn't  believe  in  wine,  cards,  theatre,  dancing 

208 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

at  all,  or  going  yachting  or  playing  golf  Sun 
days.  Kather  gloomy  religion,  it  seems  to  me. 
But  of  course  Elinor  will  drop  all  that  when  she 
comes  to  live  in  New  York. 

"The  old  puritanical  idea  seems  to  prevail  in 
Bartlett.  You  must  mortify  the  flesh  all  the 
time  in  order  to  he  in  a  proper  state  of  mind. 
Their  idea  is  that  the  Saviour  was  a  man  of  sor 
rows  and  acquainted  with  grief,  and  therefore 
we  must  never  smile,  but  reflect  constantly  on 
our  unworthiness  and  all  that  sort  of  thing. 
Now,  it  seems  to  me  that  is  the  wrong  way  to 
look  at  it.  Of  course,  considering  what  He  had 
to  endure  and  was  enduring  He  could  not  al 
ways  wear  a  smile,  but  I  never  saw  a  picture  of 
Him  where  the  artist  gave  him  a  tearful  look. 
It  was  rather  a  sweet  face  of  one  who  could  un 
derstand  all  moods,  and  sympathize  with  all 
phases  of  life.  It  strikes  me  that  they  are  all 
wrong  in  Bartlett  in  regard  to  religion " 

Mr.  Davenport  had  noticed  a  troubled  look 
on  Elinor's  face  while  Harry  was  speaking,  and 
turning  to  his  son  he  said  in  a  tone  of  reproof, 
"Harry,  I  think,  if  you  please,  we  will  not  dis 
cuss  the  dangerous  topic  of  religion.  It  strikes 

209 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

me  that  the  question  is  not  so  much  where  you 
go  or  the  form  of  service,  as  the  spirit  in  which 
you  go.  To  be  sure,  I  don't  go  much,  but  all 
the  religion  I  got  when  a  boy  in  one  of  your 
slow  churches,  as  you  term  them,  down  in  Maine, 
never  harmed  me.  On  the  other  hand,  the  im 
pression  that  old-fashioned  style  of  religion  made 
upon  me  has  never  been  entirely  effaced,  and 
whatever  good  there  is  in  me  today  is  the  result 
of  it." 

"Beg  pardon,  Elinor  and  father.  I  meant  no 
harm,  you  know/'  replied  the  young  man.  "I 
would  only  be  too  pleased  to  go  to  any  church 
you  wish,  Elinor,  as  it  really  makes  no  differ 
ence  to  me.  I  did  not  intend  to  make  any  odious 
comparisons,  onl}-,  of  course,  the  people  in  Bart- 
lett  do  just  ao  their  fathers  did  before  them, 
while  we  have  progressed.  We  are  just  as  re 
ligious,  you  know,  but  we  take  a  broader  view 
of  life." 

The  whole  conversation  had  been  a  painful 
surprise  to  Elinor.  She  had  known  that  her 
lover  had  been  born  and  had  always  lived  in  a 
different  atmosphere  from  the  one  in  which  she 
had  lived,  as  far  removed  as  the  stars  from  the 

210 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

earth,  but  she  had  never  considered  the  distance 
between  them,  nor  exchanged  views  with  him  in 
regard  to  life.  And  for  the  rest  of  the  day  she 
could  not  drive  out  of  her  mind,  try  as  hard  as 
she  could,  the  thought  that  the  time  must  .come 
when  one  of  them  must  yield,  and  in  yielding  be 
unhappy. 

Monday  came,  and  the  week  of  pleasure  as 
planned  by  the  devoted  lover,  began.  It  was  a 
series  of  arising  late,  sitting  in  the  house  or 
driving  during  the  forenoon,  visiting  places  of 
interest  in  the  afternoon,  and  going  to  the  the 
atres  or  entertaining  friends  in  the  evening  un 
til  the  small  hours  of  the  morning.  Whenever 
Elinor  remonstrated  at  her  lover's  neglect  of  his 
studies,  his  reply  was,  "Oh,  well,  never  mind  my 
studies.  If  I  never  study  it  will  be  all  right.  It's 
a  confounded  bore  anyway.  Plenty  of  time  for 
law.  I  shall  probably  never  practice.  All  I  want  to 
know  is  enough  to  look  after  my  own  property. 
There  is  no  use  working  if  you  can  afford  to  do 
otherwise.  'Eat,  drink,  and  be  merry,  for  tomor 
row  ye  die/  is  my  motto." 

Again  the  journey  to  Boston  and  thence  to 
Bartlett  was  taken,  and  soon  she  was  clasped  in 

211 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

her  mother's  arms.  The  friends  who  had  come 
to  greet  Elinor  upon  her  return  had  departed 
and  the  family  were  alone. 

"Elinor,"  said  the  mother,  "I  thought  I  should 
burst  while  ther  Eomers  an'  ther  rest  uv  'em 
wuz  here  er  settin'  'round,  but  now  they've  gone, 
I'd  like  ter  ask  yer  one  question  before  you  tell 
us  erbout  yer  trip.  Hev  they  got  as  much  money 
ez  yer  Uncle  Samuel  wrote  they  hed?" 

"Why,  mother,"  replied  the  girl,  "I  don't  know 
how  much  money  they  have. .  I  didn't  go  to  New 
York  to  find  that  out.  All  I  know  is  they  keep 
a  number  of  horses,  four  hired  girls  and  two 
men,  and  live  in  a  magnificent  house.  They  have 
everything  they  want,  and  apparently  do  not  care 
what  a  thing  costs,  provided  they  have  decided 
to  have  it.  But  I  don't  want  to  discuss  their 
money,  please.' 

"H'm,  well,  mebbe  you  don't,  but  I  do. 
Some  people  can  run  quite  er  rig  on  plaguey  lit 
tle,  an'  I  want  ter  be  sure.  That's  what  I  let 
yer  go  for,  ter  find  out.  Ez  fer  ez  ther  horses 
are  concerned  that  donyt  mean  much,  'specially 
ef  they  raise  their  own  hay;  but  four  hired  girls! 
Are  yer  sure  they  keep  four?  What  on  earth 

212 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

they  find  ter  do,  I  dunno.  Four — hired — girls! 
Elinor,  they've  got  money,  there's  no  doubt  er- 
bout  it.  Well,  thank  Heaven,  you  won't  hev  ter 
raise  yer  own  han's  when  yer  married.  An'  ter 
think,  Stephen,  it's  our  Elinor  that's  come  inter 
sech  luck.  I  hope  I'll  be  able  ter  go  an'  see 
her  once  before  I  die  an'  see  four  hired  girls  in 
one  house.  I  'spose,  Elinor,  Mrs.  Davenport 
don't  do  nothin'  in  ther  kitchen  'cept  ther  cake, 
does  she?" 

"Why,  mother,"  laughed  Elinor,  "she  never 
goes  into  the  kitchen.  She  simply  orders  what 
she  wants  for  breakfast  or  dinner,  and  then  dis 
misses  the  whole  affair  from  her  mind." 

"Well,  I  dunno  erbout  that  way,"  replied  Mrs. 
Day,  doubtfully;  "seems  ter  me  that  er  good 
housekeeper  ort  ter  keep  an  eye  on  things  bet- 
ter'n  that.  I  don't  doubt  er  word  you  say,  Eli 
nor,  but  it  seems  more  like  er  dream.  Four — 
hired — girls !" 

For  days  Elinor  was  kept  busy  answering  the 
questions  of  her  mother,  who  did  not  seem  so 
interested  in  the  story  of  the  objects  of  interest 
which  her  daughter  had  seen,  as  in  the  descrip 
tion  of  the  Davenport  home  and  other  informa- 

213 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

tion  which  gave  an  idea  of  their  wealth.  And 
when  Elinor  showed  her  mother  her  engagement 
ring,  and  said  that  she  imagined  it  must  have 
cost  two  hundred  dollars,  judging  from  the  prices 
of  others  she  had  seen  in  the  jewelry  stores,  then 
Mrs.  Day  was  fully  satisfied  and  ceased  question 
ing  her  daughter,  devoting  all  of  her  spare  mo 
ments  to  repeating  to  the  neighbors  who  called 
all  that  Elinor  had  told  her. 

Mrs.  Day  was  supremely  happy.  She  not  only 
was  the  first  woman  in  Bartlett,  but  now  she 
was  the  most  envied.  But  Elinor  for  the  first 
time  in  her  life  was  unhappy.  Each  day  she 
knew  she  was  approaching  the  time  when  she 
would  leave  Bartlett  and  begin  a  new  life  in 
New  York.  When  Davenport  had  asked  her 
to  promise  to  be  his  wife,  she  had  consented, 
hoping  that  time  would  prove  that  she  was  mis 
taken  in  her  ideas;  but  the  week  spent  in  New 
York  had  only  served  to  confirm  her  fears.  If 
she  had  not  known  that  her  father  was  ready 
to  come  to  her  assistance,  she  would  never  have 
dared  to  resist  the  disappointment  and  possible 
anger  of  her  mother,  but  with  him  to  flee  to, 
with  his  love  to  strengthen  her,  she  mustered 

214 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

her  courage  in  battle  array  and  decided  to  pre 
vent  the  horrible  mistake  from  growing  any 
larger,  and  save  two  people  from  a  life-long  sor 
row.  It  was  better  for  both  Harry  and  herself 
to  live  lives  of  single  blessedness  rather  than 
one  of  double  accursedness. 

Having  decided  what  was  right  to  do  as  well 
as  sensible,  she  decided  to  wait  no  longer,  and 
therefore  wrote  Harry  a  letter  over  which  she 
spent  many  an  unhappy  moment  and  shed  many 
tears. 

"Dear  Harry,"  she  wrote,  "several  years  ago 
a  lady,  who  spent  the  summer  in  Bartlett,  gave 
me  an  Episcopal  prayer  book  and  asked  me  to 
read  it.  I  must  confess  I  never  read  much  of 
it,  for  somehow  the  prayers  in  it  seemed  like 
manufactured  ones  to  me,  accustomed  as  I  was 
to  hear  all  prayers  made  on  the  instant  rather 
than  repeated  from  a  book.  But,  like  all  girls, 
I  read  the  marriage  service,  and  young  as  I  was 
it  made  a  deep  impression  upon  my  mind  and 
heart,  and  for  the  first  time  I  realized  that  mar 
riage  was  something  more  than  two  people  de 
ciding  to  live  together  as  man  and  wife,  and 
having  a  minister  say  a  few  words  over  them. 

215 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  service  in  that  book  began  by  saying  that 
'marriage  was  not  to  be  entered  into  unadvisedly 
or  lightly;  but  reverently,  discreetly,  advisedly, 
soberly,  and  in  the  fear  of  God/  My  dear  friend, 
remembering  these  words  I  have  decided  I  can 
not  marry  you.  The  words  I  have  just  written 
have  caused  me  more  sorrow  and  pain  than  any 
I  have  ever  written  or  spoken  before  in  all  my 
life,  and  more,  much  more  than  I  wish  you  to 
ever  suffer. 

"I  know  you  are  a  good  man,  honest  and 
true;  I  believe  that  if  I  became  your  wife 
you  would  do  all  in  your  power  to  make  me 
happy.  But  you  must  not  change  your  whole 
life  for  my  sake;  you  could  not  if  you  would, 
and  I  doubt  if  you  would  if  you  could.  Seeing 
everything  that  goes  to  make  all  that  is  good  and 
best  in  this  world  from  a  different  point  of  view 
than  that  from  which  I  behold  them,  looking 
upon  some  things  as  proper  and  right  which  I 
have  been  taught  to  regard  as  wrong,  you  could 
not  be  expected  by  me  to  give  up  all  and  settle 
down  to  living  the  life  I  would  desire  to  live. 
And,  on  the  other  hand,  I  could  not  care  for 
a  life  that  consisted  of  simply  having  a  good 

216 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

time,  and  thinking  nothing  of  the  morrow.  I 
am  too  much  like  the  ant,  you,  like  the  butter 
fly,  and  those  two  were  never  intended  to  live 
together.  Ants  should  work  together,  butter 
flies  flit  from  flower  to  flower  side  by  side. 

"My  illustration  perhaps  is  a  poor  one;  perhaps 
I  am  not  the  industrious,  patient,  hard-working 
ant,  perhaps  I  have  not  given  you  credit  for  the 
many  sober  thoughts  which  you  may  have  had 
or  the  many  hours  you  may  have  passed  in  hard 
study;  but  we  are  wide  apart.  And  while  no 
doubt  years  of  married  life,  and  possibly  chil 
dren,  would  bring  us  nearer  to  one  another,  we 
should  never  be  side  by  side  as  man  and  wife 
should  be,  with  one  thought  and  one  desire,  the 
happiness  of  both  as  one. 

"I  know  that  my  decision  will  be  a  great  dis 
appointment  to  my  friends  and  a  means  of  caus 
ing  you  sorrow  and  pain,  but  it  is  best  for  us 
both.  Better  an  hour  of  sorrow  than  a  lifetime 
of  vain  regrets. 

"I  believe  that  you  will  receive  this  letter  in 
the  spirit  in  which  it  is  written ;  I  know  that  you 
will  believe  me  when  I  say  that  I  have  consid 
ered  this  matter  for  weeks.  If  I  loved  you,  I 

217 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

would  go  with  you  and  live  in  the  poorest  place 
in  the  world  and  be  happy.  But  I  don't  love 
you,  I  never  can,  and  therefore  even  New  York 
with  all  that  it  contains  to  make  life  happy 
would  only  be  a  prison  for  me.  I  admire  you,  I 
respect  you,  but  I  cannot  be  your  wife,  and  there 
fore  let  us  stop  where  we  are,  good  friends,  and 
I  hope  always  good  friends.  Elinor/' 

She  read  the  letter  over  slowly  and  carefully, 
and  then  placing  it  in  an  envelope  laid  it  on 
the  desk,  while  she  enclosed  her  first  and  only 
ring  in  a  package  to  be  sent  to  Harry  by  express. 

Taking  the  two  articles,  she  walked  down 
stairs  into  the  front  room  where  her  mother  and 
father  were  sitting,  Mrs.  Day  busily  engaged  in 
sewing,  while  the  honest  old  farmer  was  read 
ing  an  article  in  the  county  paper. 

"Mother  and  father,"  she  said,  as  with  height 
ened  color  she  turned  towards  them,  "I  have 
written  a  letter  to  Harry  in  which  I  tell  him  I 
must  break  our  engagement.  I  have  written  the 
letter  because  I  believe  it  was  the  best  thing  and 
the  right  thing  to  do.  It  has  been  a  very  un 
pleasant  experience;  please  do  not  make  it  any 
harder  for  me  by  asking  me  any  questions  about 

218 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

it,  or  making  any  comments/'  and  turning  she 
left  the  room. 

When  she  returned  from  the  post-office  and 
entered  the  room,  she  knew  in  an  instant  from 
the  grim,  set  look  on  the  face  of  her  father  and 
the  tearful  countenance  of  her  mother  that  Ste 
phen  Day  had  spoken,  and  that  the  lioness  was 
silent  in  the  presence  of  her  mate. 


CHAPTER 
SEVENTEEN 

The  spring  came,  and  one  morning  as  Still 
was  ploughing  in  the  little  field  back  of  his  house, 
he  noticed  two  men  drive  up  to  his  door,  get 
out  of  the  buggy,  hitch  the  horse  and  walk 
toward  him  over  the  ploughed  land.  Still  stopped 
his  horse  and  awaited  their  coming. 

"Wonder  who  they  are,  an'  what  they  want? 
Ef  they're  lightnin'  agents  I  shan't  want  'em, 
fer  lightnin'  struck  ther  house  last  summer,  an' 
goin'  on  ther  principle  thet  it  don't  hit  ther 
same  place  twice,  'twould  be  flyin'  in  ther  face 
uv  Providence  to  put  up  any  rods  now.  Ef 
they're  book  agents,  then  ez  for  books,  I've  got 
er  Bible,  Fox's  Book  uv  Martyrs,  Pilgrim's  Prog 
ress  an'  er  book  uv  travels,  an'  I  guess  that's 
bein'  fitted  out  pooty  well.  Them  an'  ther  county 
paper  keep  me  er  goin'." 

The  men  approached,  and  one  of  them  said: 
"This  is  Mr.  Gott,  I  presume  ?" 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Well,"  said  Still,  "you  needn't  guess  ergin. 
That's  what  I'm  called,  an'  what  I  answer  to. 
What  kin  I  do  fer  yer?" 

"Well,  Mr.  Gott,  we  were  going  by,  and  hap 
pening  to  remember  that  we  had  heard  that  you 
owned  a  little  wood  lot  on  Sheep  island,  thought 
we  would  inquire  if  it  was  for  sale.  We  are 
buying  a  few  wood  lots  around  here,  intending 
to  cut  and  ship  kiln  wood  to  Eockland." 

"Yes,  I  see.  Now  'tween  you  an'  me,  I  guess 
that  lot  won't  be  uv  no  use  ter  yer.  I  cut  most 
uv  thcr  wood  off  last  winter.  It's  only  er  fifty 
acre  lot  anyway,  an'  mostly  ledges." 

"Is  that  so  ?  Well,  I  am  surprised.  We  were 
over  on  the  island  a  few  days  ago,  and  had  some 
of  the  different  lots  pointed  out  to  us  by  the 
man  who  carried  us  over.  He  must  have  made 
a  mistake  in  the  ownership  of  the  lot  he  pointed 
out." 

"Jest  like  ez  not.    Who  took  yer  over?" 

"Haskell  Peters." 

"Well,  ef  he  p'inted  that  lot  out,  no  wonder 
yer  got  mixed  up.  Haskell's  er  good,  hard  work- 
in'  feller,  but  when  they  wuz  dealin'  out  brains 
he  didn't  get  round  till  late.  'Tween  you  an' 

221 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

me,  he  hardly  knows  ernuff  ter  go  in  when  it 
rains,  er  chew  gum  without  er  string.  Why,  I 
remember  when  he  wuz  erbout  twenty-one,  one 
day  his  father,  who  wuz  er  brisk,  forehanded 
sort  uv  er  farmer,  wuz  talkin'  with  me  erbout 
crops  an'  things  out  in  his  barn,  an'  Haskell 
came  in  an'  stood  'round  listenin'.  Pooty  soon 
ther  old  man  turned  on  Haskell  an'  sez  he,  'Has 
kell,  yer  hain't  done  nothin'  since  yer  quit  goin' 
ter  school  but  set  'round  an'  chaw  terbacker, 
while  I've  been  workin'  tight  ez  I  could  jump. 
I  guess  it's  gone  erbout  fur  ernuff.  Haskell,  I 
hate  ter  say  what  I'm  goin'  ter,  to  my  own  flesh 
an'  blood,  but  unless  yer  make  er  big  change  in 
yer  style  an'  git  down  ter  work,  you  an'  me  must 
part.'  An'  Haskell,  he  spit  out  er  whole  mouth 
ful  uv  terbacker  juice,  an'  sez  he,  'Well,  now, 
father,  I'd  hate  like  blazes  ter  hev  you  leave 
home.'  No,  Haskell  ain't  reel  up  an'  comin'." 

"But  you  own  a  lot  on  the  island  of  fifty  acres, 
I  understand." 

"Yes,  that's  right.  That's  ther  gen'ral  under- 
standin'." 

"And  it  is  for  sale?" 

"Yes,  anything  I've  got  is  fer  sale,  'cept  my 

222 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

dog  an'  ther  mare,  providin'  I  kin  git  my  price." 
"What  is  your  price  for  that  lot?" 
"Dunno  ez  I  hev  any.    I  hedn't  thought  much 

uv  sellin'  it  .  In  fact,  I  dunno  ez  ther  idee  ever 

entered  my  head/' 

"What  would  you  consider  a  fair  price  for  it  ?" 
"Whatever  I  sold  it  fer  I  should  think  wuz 

erbout  right." 

"But,  Mr.  Gott,  we  want  some  idea  to  go  by. 

If  we  knew   what  you   asked  for  it,  we   could 

quickly  say  whether  we  would  give  that  amount 

or  not,  and  if  we  thought  the  price  too  high,  we 

could  then  make  a  counter  offer." 

"Yes,  that's  so,  I  guess.     But  ther  fust  offer 

better  come  frum  you." 

"What  do  you  say  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 

dollars.     That's  three  dollars  an  acre." 

"Well,  I  won't  say  much.    I  tell  yer  short  an' 

sweet,  I  won't  take  it." 

"Will  you  take  three  hundred  dollars?" 
"No,  nur  three  thousand  dollars,"  was  the  sur 
prising  answer. 

The  two  men  looked  at  one  another  for  a  few 

moments,  and  then  the  spokesman  of  the  two 

strangers  said  in  a  tone  of  surprise: 

223 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Why,  Mr.  Gott,  you  take  my  breath  away." 

"Do,  eh?  Well,  keep  quiet  er  minute,  then. 
There's  er  strong  breeze  blowin'  an'  ef  yer  face 
it,  you'll  git  some  more  soon.  If  yer  feel  kind 
uv  faint,  I'll  run  an'  git  ther  camphor  bottle." 

The  other  man,  who,  up  to  this  time,  had 
maintained  silence,  then  turned  to  Still  and 
said:  "Mr.  Gott,  why  do  you  place  such  an 
outrageous  price  on  that  little  wood  lot?" 

"Now,"  replied  Still,  "we're  gittin'  down  ter 
bizness.  'Taint  an  outrageous  price,  an'  I  hain't 
said  yet  I'd  take  that  fer  it.  I  only  said  I 
wouldn't  take  that  fer  it.  But  I  guess  that's 
ther  question  that  calls  fer  ther  whole  story. 
Gentlemen,  last  winter,  when  I  wuz  on  ther  isl 
and  on  that  lot  choppin',  one  day  I  see  er  feller 
up  on  ther  ledges  fussin'  'round.  I  didn't  say 
nothin'  to  him  at  fust,  nor  let  on  I  wuz  er  watch- 
in'  him,  but  I  wuz,  jest  ther  same,  an'  I  seen 
him  knockin'  off  pieces  of  rock  an'  puttin'  em 
in  er  little  bag.  I  sh'd  think  he  covered  acres 
uv  thet  ledge  knockin'  off  pieces  wherever  it 
stuck  out  uv  ther  ground,  an'  I  covered  about  ez 
much  ground  as  he  did  er  watchin'  him.  When 
he'd  got  erbout  through,  I  came  up  ter  him  an' 

224 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

asked  him  what  he  wuz  doin'.  He  said  he  wuz 
jest  takin'  bits  uv  rocks  here  an'  there,  an'  said 
somethin'  erbout  geolergy.  He  geed  fast  ermiff 
when  he  see  me.  Thinks  I,  somethin'  is  up,  an' 
this  spring  I  took  some  uv  that  rock  myself  an' 
sent  it  t'  er  man  in  Boston  what  Squire  Eaton 
told  me  erbout,  an'  he  sent  word  back  an'  asked 
me  how  much  uv  it  I  hed.  I  sent  him  word 
that  ez  fer  ez  I  could  jedge,  I  hed  acres  uv  it; 
in  fact,  that  stone  wuz  ther  bigges'  crop  I  raised 
on  my  place.  An'  then  he  sent  me  word  thet 
that  stone  wuz  er  mighty  fine  kind  uv  granite 
an'  wuth  er  pile  uv  money.  So  I  been  waitin' 
ever  since,  watchin'  ter  see  how  ther  cat  would 
jump,  an'  I  guess  she's  jumped.  At  any  rate, 
she's  feelin'  frisky.  Now  yer've  got  my  whole 
story,  an'  if  yer've  got  anythin'  ter  say,  why, 
say  it,  an'  I'll  meet  yer  half  way.  I'm  lookin' 
fer  ther  best  price  I  can  get.  I'm  er  good 
deal  like  an  old  Irishman  that  lived  'round  here 
years  ago.  Dead  an'  gone  now.  Well,  one  day 
he  wuz  tryin'  ter  sell  an  old  hoss  he  had,  an' 
er  feller  wuz  lookin'  ther  hoss  over,  an'  sez  he: 
'This  hoss  looks  ez  if  he  hed  ther  heaves.  Hez 
he  got  'em?'  An'  ther  old  Irishman  sez:  'Ther 

225 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

heaves?  What's  ther  heaves?  I'll  tell  yer  one 
thin',  if  he's  any  ther  better  for  havin'  'em,  he's 
pot  'em." 

"Mr.  Gott,  it  is  very  apparent  to  us  that  we 
have  got  a  smart  business  man  to  deal  with.  We 
will  admit  that  as  far  as  can  be  judged  from  the 
surface,  without  going  to  the  expense  of  blast 
ing  off  a  lot  of  the  stone,  there  is  a  fair  quality 
of  granite  on  that  lot.  It  may  prove  better,  and 
it  may  prove  to  be  utterly  useless  when  we  get 
down  a  few  feet.  I  simply  state  these  facts  to 
let  you  see  that  outside  appearances  may  be  de 
ceitful,  and  that  we  should  be  allowed  some 
margin  if  we  purchase  the  property  and  take  the 
chances." 

"Well,  gentlemen,  now  that  we've  come  down 
ter  business,  I'll  tell  yer  what  I'll  do,  an'  we 
won't  dicker  any  more.  I  wuz  jest  kind  uv  jok- 
in'  yer  on  ther  start  ter  see  what  you'd  say,  but 
now  I'll  make  you  er  price,  an'  it's  ther  price  I'll 
take,  an'  I  won't  take  one  cent  less.  My  price 
fer  ther  fifty-acre  lot  is  twenty-five  thousand  dol 
lars,  cold  cash,  an'  when  I  git  that,  yer  can  cut 
kiln  wood,  dig  granite,  er  raise  clams  on  ther 
shore,  fer  all  uv  me." 

226 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Mr.  Gott,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  are  inclined 
to  drive  a  pretty  sharp  bargain,  and  we  are  not 
prepared  to  accept  or  refuse  your  offer  today, 
but  will  you  be  willing  to  give  us  the  refusal  of 
the  lot  for  a  week?  We  can  certainly  let  you 
know  our  decision  by  that  time." 

"Sharp  bargain,  eh?"  replied  Still;  "well,  now 
it  may  be  sharp,  but  I  swanny,  it  ain't  ez  sharp 
ez  ther  bargain  old  Dr.  Smith's  wife  drove  with 
Simeon  Eobinson.  Yer  see  Simeon  sort  uv  lived 
frum  hand  ter  mouth,  doin'  odd  jobs  fer  neigh 
bors,  mowin',  plantin',  cuttin'  wood  an'  so  on. 
One  day  he  stopped  at  ther  doctor's  house  an' 
asked  Mrs.  Smith  ef  she  had  any  work  she  wanted 
done.  Well,  she  took  him  out  back  uv  ther 
house  and  showed  him  er  pile  uv  ther  worst  wood 
Simeon  ever  see  in  all  his  life.  It  wuz  er  lot  uv 
spruce,  an'  looked  like  ther  off-scourin'  uv  ther 
earth.  All  twisted  up  an'  full  uv  knots  an'  pitch. 
Well,  it  wuz  hotter'n  blazes  that  day,  an'  Simeon 
knew  he  hed  er  tough  job  before  him,  an'  he 
thought  it  over,  an'  finally  he  said  he'd  do  it  fer 
er  dollar.  Well,  they  backed  an'  filled  fer  er 
while,  an'  finally  Mrs.  Smith  beat  him  down  ter 
fifty  cents.  It  wuz  an  awful  low  price,  but  Sim- 

227 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

eon  needed  ther  money  an*  so  he  started  in.  He 
worked  all  day,  an'  like  ter  died  with  ther  heat, 
an'  what  wuz  worse,  she  didn't  even  ask  him  in 
ter  dinner;  but  finally  jest  before  sundown  he 
got  it  done.  He  went  up  an'  rapped  on  ther  back 
door,  an'  when  Mrs.  Smith  came  out,  he  sez: 
'Mrs.  Smith,  I've  got  it  done.'  An'  sez  she,  'Well, 
now,  that's  all  right.  Now  ez  ter  paynr*  yer,  I 
hain't  got  no  change  ter  pay  yer  with,  'cause 
money  is  pretty  scarce,  but,  uv  course,  yer'll  be 
willin'  ter  swop  work.  So  you  come  round  most 
any  day,  an'  ther  doctor'll  pull  er  tooth  fer  yer.' 
Now,  ez  ter  ther  refusal,  you  kin  hev  ther  refusal 
on  one  understandin'.  Whether  we  come  to 
terms  er  not,  an'  especially  ef  we  do,  I  want  yer 
to  agree  that  nobody  but  yourselves  shall  ever 
know  about  our  talk  terday." 

"Very  well,  sir,  we  agree  to  that,  and  we  bid 
you  good-day,"  and  the  two  men  went  back  to 
their  buggy  and  drove  away. 

"Well,  old  girl,"  said  Still  as  he  again  picked 
up  the  reins,  "we  may  possibly  be  wuth  er  pile 
uv  money,  but  nabobs  er  no  nabobs,  we've  got 
this  ploughin'  ter  do.  They  say  money  makes 
ther  mare  go,  an'  I  guess  I'll  see  what  effect  it 

228 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

frez  on  yer.    Git  up." 

And  the  old  mare  slowly  started  up,  dragging 
the  plough  behind  her  with  Still  hanging  to  the 
handles. 

A  week  later,  the  same  two  men  called  upon 
Still,  a  deed  was  given  of  the  land,  and  Still  was 
handed  a  certified  check  for  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  in  the  presence  of  'Squire  Eaton,  who 
acted  as  adviser  for  him. 

After  the  purchasers  had  withdrawn  from  the 
attorney's  office,  Still  handed  the  check  to  'Squire 
Eaton  and  instructed  him  as  follows:  "Jedge, 
yer  go  up  ter  Boston  ez  soon  ez  yer  can,  git  ther 
money  that  piece  uv  paper  calls  fer,  invest  in 
some  good  stocks  an'  bonds,  an'  bring  'em  back 
an'  keep  'em  in  yer  safe  er  some  other  good  place 
fer  me.  An'  ez  fast  ez  ther  int'rest  comes  in, 
pay  it  over  ter  me  after  yer've  taken  out  what's 
right  fer  yerself.  An'  while  yer  erbout  it,  take 
out  fer  what  you've  done  so  fer  an'  also  fer  ther 
trip  ter  Boston  an'  back,  ez  soon  ez  yer  draw  ther 
money  frum  ther  bank.  After  yer  git  back,  yer 
kin  give  me  er  list  uv  ther  things  yer've  bought 
an'  er  kind  uv  er  receipt  so's  we'll  start  square, 
an'  that'll  be  all  settled." 

229 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"But,  Still/'  remonstrated  the  lawyer,  "this  is 
a  great  responsibility  you  are  putting  upon  me. 
The  investing  of  so  large  a  sum  of  money  with 
out  any  instructions  is  something  that  I  hesitate 
about  doing.  Why  not  put  the  check  through 
the  nearest  bank  for  collection,  and  consult  the 
cashier  or  president  of  the  bank  in  regard  to  the 
investment?  Or,  what  would  be  better,  go  to 
Boston  yourself,  hunt  up  some  good  stock  broker, 
and  take  his  advice/' 

"Squire,  I  don't  want  nobuddy  ter  know  I've 
got  this  money,  an'  ef  I  take  ther  check  ter  er 
bank  'round  here  it'll  leak  out.  You  lawyers,  on 
ther  other  hand,  are  handlin'  money  all  ther 
time,  so  yer  hevin'  ther  check  won't  surprise  any- 
buddy.  An'  people  won't  be  able  ter  git  anythin' 
out  uv  yer  erbout  it,  more'n  I  wuz  able  ter  find 
out  erbout  Dave  Hopkins  frum  Doc  Norcross 
once.  I  met  ther  doctor,  an'  says  I,  'How's  Dave  ? 
Pretty  sick,  ain't  he  ?'  an'  says  Doc,  'Yes,  he  is.' 
An5  says  I,  'Is  he  goin'  ter  git  well?'  An'  Doc 
ISTorcross  looked  at  me  an'  he  says,  'Still,  inside 
uv  ther  next  twenty-four  hours  Dave'll  be  better, 
er  worse,  er  remain  as  he  is.' 

"Now,    I    ain't    goin'    ter    change    my    style 

230 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

uv  livin'  er  buy  anything  new,  but  I'm  goin' 
ter  hang  onter  it  while  I  live  an'  use  thcr 
income  in  certain  ways,  an'  that's  why  I  want 
yer  ter  run  ther  whole  thing.  Ez  fer  me  goin' 
ter  Boston  an'  buyin'  stock,  why,  Squire,  I  dunno 
no  more  'bout  buyin'  stock  than  ther  man  in 
ther  moon.  Ther  only  stock  I  know  erbout  is 
stock  that  hez  ter  be  watered  good  an'  often,  an' 
ef  I  kin  jedge  frum  what  I  read  in  the  papers, 
the  stock  I  want  now  is  ther  kind  thet  hezn't 
been  watered  at  all,  an'  what's  more,  won't  need 
any.  You  go  erhead  an'  use  yer  best  jedgment, 
an'  ez  that's  better'n  eny  I've  got,  ef  yer  make 
er  mistake  I  shan't  complain.  An'  speakin'  uv 
law  business,  s'pose  we  pass  frum  ther  grave  ter 
ther  gay,  ez  ther  feller  said  when  he  left  ther 
cemetery  ter  call  on  ther  young  widder.  I've 
drawed  up  my  will,  now  I've  got  somethin'  ter 
leave,  an'  I  want  yer  ter  look  it  over,  patch  up 
any  holes  yer  see  in  it,  an'  if  it's  all  tight  an' 
won't  leak,  I'll  hev  yer  git  some  witnesses  an' 
we'll  launch  her  terday.  I'd  like  ter  leave  ther 
wordin'  uv  it  jest  ez  I've  drawed  it,  ef  it's  all 
right." 

The  lawyer  looked  it  over  carefully,  and  after 

231 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

a  few  moments  of  study  informed  Still  that 
while  the  will  was  perhaps  slightly  informal  and 
not  exactly  as  he  would  have  written  it,  yet  it 
was  a  legal  will,  clearly  expressed,  and  would 
stand  the  test  of  the  law.  The  will  was  there 
fore  duly  signed  and  witnessed. 

"All  right' then,"  said  Still,  "that  takes  all  my 
business  with  yer  off'n  my  mind,  an'  I  guess  I'll 
be  goin'.  Law  is  er  luxury  what  only  ther  rich 
can  afford,  an'  ez  I've  come  inter  some  property, 
I'll  jest  indulge  this  much.  Mornin'." 

As  soon  as  he  arrived  home  Still  put  the  wagon 
in  the  barn,  turned  the  horse  into  the  pasture 
and  went  into  the  house. 

"I  guess  ez  I've  got  money  now,  I'll  set  down 
ther  rest  uv  this  day.  Seem'  ez  I  hed  more  money 
in  my  hand  terday  than  I  ever  expected  ter  see, 
an'  all  my  own,  an'  inezmuch  ez  I've  made  .my 
will,  I  guess  that's  excitement  enough  fer  one 
day.  I  swanny,  I  dunno  whether  I'm  tickled  er 
sorry.  Seems  ter  me  I  wuz  well  enough  off  be 
fore.  Hed  all  I  could  do  ter  keep  up  then,  an' 
now  I've  got  all  this  money  ter  spend  top  uv  that. 
Ef  folks  in  Boston  is  ez  worried  erbout  how  ter 
get  red  uv  their  money  ez  I  shall  be  after  this, 

232 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

I  pity  'em,  that's  all  I've  got  ter  say.  Twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars,  at  four  per  cent,  int'rest,  is 
— lemme  see,"  and  getting  a  piece  of  paper  and 
a  pencil  he  made  a  few  figures  and  started  up 
saying: 

"Thunderation !  It's  er  thousand  dollars  er 
year!  Why,  that's  twice  ez  much  ez  ther  min 
ster  gits!  Whew!  Le's  see.  Yes,  it's  mighty 
nigh  ter  three  dollars  er  day,  countin'  Sundays 
an'  hollerdays.  Think  uv  it!  I  kin  go  ter  bed 
at  night,  an'  when  I  git  up  in  ther  mornin'  I've 
got  three  dollars  more'n  I  hed  when  I  went  ter 
sleep,  an'  it's  er  comin'  right  erlong  without  my 
liftin'  er  finger.  Jest  ther  same  ez  if  I  sh'd  set 
on  ther  front  porch  ev'ry  mornin'  er  holdin'  out 
my  hand,  an'  somebody  sh'd  come  erlong  an'  put 
three  dollars  in  it.  Well,  well,  er  fool  fer  luck 
they  say,  an'  I  guess  that  wuz  pretty  nigh  true 
when  I  sold  that  ledge  on  Sheep  island." 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment  thinking  of  his 
wonderful  fortune,  and  then  the  smile  died  out 
of  his  face  and  a  better,  more  manly  look  came 
into  it.  He  got  up  from  the  chair  he  had  been 
sitting  in,  and  going  into  his  little  bedroom 
knelt  by  the  side  of  his  bed,  and,  bowing  his  head 

233 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  closing  his  eyes,  said:  "Oh,  Lord,  there's  er 
great  deal  more  in  my  heart  than  I  can  let  out 
uv  my  mouth,  but  I  know  that  you  can  look  inter 
my  heart  as  well  as  you  can  hear  what  I  say.  I've 
got  all  this  money,  an'  I  don't  need  er  red  cent 
uv  it;  but  you  must  hev  hed  some  reason  for 
bringin'  it  eround  so's  I  got  it,  an'  that's  ernuff 
f er  me.  I  don't  intend  ter  fritter  it  erway,  ner 
let  anybody  cheat  me  out  uv  it  ef  I  can  help  it. 
An'  I  don't  intend,  on  ther  other  hand,  ter  be 
stingy  with  it.  Help  me  ter  do  ther  right  thing 
with  it  at  ther  right  time.  Make  me  understand 
and  remember  ev'ry  day  that  I'm  only  handlin' 
this  money  fer  you,  an'  that  I  must  show  how 
it's  all  gone  when  ther  time  comes.  Show  me 
what's  my  duty,  an'  give  me  ther  strength  ter  do 
it.  Amen." 


CHAPTER 
EIGHTEEN 

Town  meeting  day  had  arrived,  and  every  citi 
zen  that  had  a  horse  and  wagon,  or,  not  Saving 
one,  could  get  a  chance  to  ride  with  a  more  for 
tunate  neighbor,  was  present  at  the  town  hall. 
Not  for  years  had  there  been  such  a  large  at 
tendance,  and  the  little  town  ring  that  had  con 
trolled  the  offices  of  the  town  so  long  were  not 
only  surprised  but  worried  at  the  large  number 
present.  They  bustled  around  greeting  each 
newcomer  with  a  shake  of  the  hand  and  the  regu 
lation  office-seeker's  smile,  and  as  often  as  a  citi 
zen  of  the  town  came  in  who  had  not  been  in  the 
habit  of  attending  the  meeting  in  years  past, 
some  one  of  the  ring  would  ask  him,  "What 
brought  you  out  today?"  And  yet  all  the  an 
swers  they  got,  no  matter  in  what  language  they 
were  expressed,  were  very  unsatisfactory. 

The  persons  interrogated  did  not  seem  to  be 
evading  the  question  in  any  way;  they  appeared 

235 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

to  be  telling  the  truth  when  they  replied  that 
they  didn't  know  as  there  was  any  particular  rea 
son,  except  that  they  had  been  told  by  some  one 
that  it  was  their  duty  to  attend  the  meeting,  and 
they  guessed  it  was.  When  asked  who  had  re 
minded  them  of  their  duty,  some  of  them  named 
one  person,  others  another. 

The  "ring"  got  together  a  few  moments  be 
fore  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  and  com 
pared  notes,  but  the  mystery  was  as  dark  and 
deep  as  before.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but 
await  developments,  and  they  began  to  realize 
that  relying  as  they  did  on  everything  going  as 
they  had  previously  planned,  if  all  these  new 
comers,  these  stay-at-homes,  were  arrayed  against 
them,  they  were  defeated. 

The  room  in  the  town  hall  had  become  so 
crowded  that  hardly  a  seat  was  vacant,  when 
Squire  Eaton,  slowly  putting  on  his  glasses,  called 
the  meeting  to  order.  The  call  for  the  meeting 
was  slowly  and  carefully  read  by  the  old  lawyer, 
and  the  meeting  was  open  for  business. 

The  first  matter  of  business  in  order  was  the 
election  of  a  moderator,  and,  on  motion  of  Allan 
Carter,  seconded  by  Abe  Merrill,  Squire  Eaton 

236 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

was  unanimously  elected  to  that-  office  for  the 
twentieth  consecutive  time. 

The  appropriations  for  the  regular  running  ex 
penses  of  the  town  were  agreed  upon  without 
any  opposition,  except  the  appropriation  for  the 
schools.  At  this  point  there  was  a  slight  ripple 
of  excitement  when  Stephen  Herrick  arose  to  op 
pose  the  amount  proposed  to  be  expended. 

"Mr.  Moderator/'  he  said,  "it's  all  nonsense 
spendin'  so  much  money  fer  schools  an'  teachers. 
We  can  hire  teachers  fer  er  good  deal  less  than 
we're  payin',  an'  ther  schoolhouse  down  on  ther 
Neck  that  some  of  the  members  of  this  meetin' 
propose  to  tear  down  so's  ter  build  a  better  one, 
wuz  good  ernuff  fer  me,  an'  it's  good  ernuff  for 
my  children,  or  anybuddy  else's.  There's  no  use 
uv  us  gittin'  these  highfalutin  notions,  'cause 
it's  all  nonsense.  Taxes  is  high  ernuff  now.  I'm 
totally  opposed  ter  this  expense,  an'  I  hope  ther 
citizens  uv  this  town  have  got  too  much  hoss 
sense  ter  vote  fer  it." 

As  he  sat  down,  there  was  a  feeble  attempt  at 
applause,  and  then  good  old  Dr.  Sleeper,  the 
Methodist  minister,  arose  and  delivered  a  long 
and  ponderous  speech  in  regard  t'o  the  advantages 

237 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

of  education,  and  vigorously  advocated  the  meas 
ure.  He  received  the  recognition  that  his  age 
and  profession  entitled  him  to,  and  for  a  moment 
nobody  followed  him. 

Squire  Eaton  then  said,  "Any  more  remarks 
on  the  question?" 

At  this  point,  Still  arose  from  his  seat  amidst 
a  burst  of  applause,  and  every  one  awoke  to  the 
occasion.  Still  never  missed  a  town  meeting, 
but  he  rarely  spoke  upon  any  subject  that  came 
before  the  meeting.  But  his  trial  for  burning 
Ehoderick  Friend's  barn  had  caused  him  to  be 
talked  about  throughout  the  town,  and  every 
man  was  eager  to  hear  what  he  might  see  fit  to 
say. 

"Mr.  Moderator/'  he  said,  "my  father  used 
ter  hev  an'  old  sayin',  which  wuz.,  'er  terrible 
pile  uv  hollerin'  fer  mighty  little  wool,  ez  ther 
devil  said  when  he  sheared  ther  pig,'  and  it 
seems  ter  me  ez  though  we'd  hed  er  good  sample 
uv  it  terday.  Steve  Herrick  hez  made  er  big  cry 
ergainst  ther  schools,  but  without  ther  slightest 
reason.  It  struck  me  ez  kind  uv  funny  when 
Steve  sed  that  ther  school  that  wuz  good  ernuff 
fer  him  wuz  good  ernuff  fer  his  children,  consid- 

238 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

erin'  he's  been  married  goin'  on  thirty  years  an* 
hain't  got  chick  nor  child,  an'  what's  more,  ain't 
likely  ter,  unless  somebody  leaves  one  on  his 
front  porch.  But  I  guess  he  wuz  erbout  right 
after  all,  come  to  think  uv  it.  He's  got  nothin' 
in  ther  way  uv  children,  an'  ther  schoolhouse  is 
jest  good  fer  nothin'.  An'  when  he  sed  taxes 
wuz  high  ernuff  now,  I  thought  I  should  snicker 
right  out  in  meetin',  when  I  remembered  that 
Steve  hain't  paid  nothin'  but  er  poll  tax  fer 
more'n  twenty  years,  an'  ain't  likely  ter  fer  ther 
next  twenty." 

A  roar  of  laughter  went  up  that  fairly  shook 
the  rafters,  and  it  was  some  time  before  the  mod 
erator  by  vigorous  rapping  with  his  knife  on  the 
table,  could  bring  the  meeting  to  a  point  where 
it  was  possible  for  Still  to  continue  his  remarks. 

"Now,  Mr.  Moderator  an'  feller  citizens,"  con 
tinued  Still,  "I  ain't  no  college  learned  man,  nor 
even  er  graduate  uv  ther  town  academy,  like  some 
uv  yer.  I  jest  went  through  ther  deestrict  school, 
an'  then  I  hed  ter  go  ter  work,  an'  I've  hed  my 
nose  on  ther  grindstone  an'  been  turnin'  ther 
handle  myself  ever  since.  But  what  little  time 
I've  hed  ter  spare,  I've  used  in  readin'  an'  listenin' 

239 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ter  folks  what  hez  hed  er  good  edjercation,  an' 
I've  never  met  er  man  yet  whose  health  wuz  in 
jured  by  knowin'  too  much.  Yer  all  know  that 
ef  yer  make  er  pint  uv  working  instead  uv  loafin' 
round  ther  postoffice  an'  store,  that  yer  muscles 
are  harder  an'  yer  enjoy  yer  vittles  better;  an'  in 
ther  same  way,  in  my  opinion,  the  more  yer  ex 
ercise  yer  brain  learnin'  things,  the  healthier 
brain  yer'll  hev.  An'  what's  more,  yer  can't  make 
intelligent  boys  an'  girls  ef  yer  give  'em  an  old 
pigsty  uv  er  buildin'  fer  er  schoolhouse.  I  don't 
want  ter  be  ugly  er  sassy,  er  twit  on  facts,  but  ef 
ther  old  schoolhouse  an'  ther  kind  uv  cheap  teach 
ers  that  some  men  want  are  the  cause  of  ther  pres 
ent  condition  uv  some  people  in  this  town,  ther 
quicker  we  git  better  teachers,  build  better  school- 
houses,  an'  when  we  git  'em  done  thank  God  an' 
take  courage,  ther  better  fer  all  concerned,  an' 
ther  better  for  ther  boys  an'  girls  uv  this  town. 
I'm  in  favor  uv  this  motion,  hook,  line,  an'  sinker. 
I'll  pay  my  share  uv  ther  extry  taxes,  if  there  is 
any  extry,  willingly,  when  I  know  that  by  doin' 
so  I'm  er  helpin'  some  bright  boy  or  girl  ter  know 
somethin'  an'  ter  be  somebuddy.  I  know  that  ex 
travagance  is  somethin'  ter  be  ashamed  uv,  but  in 

240 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

my  honest  opinion  stinginess  ter  children  is 
mighty  small  pertaters  an'  few  in  ther  hill." 

As  Still  sat  down,,  a  burst  of  applause  shook 
the  house,  and  the  motion  being  put  to  the  meet 
ing  by  the  moderator  was  carried  unanimously, 
not  even  Stephen  Herrick  having  the  courage  to 
oppose  it. 

From  this  point  the  meeting  proceeded  to  the 
election  of  a  town  treasurer  and  tax  collector. 
The  two  offices  were  to  be  filled  by  the  same  per 
son,  and  the  town  ring,  through  its  spokesman, 
nominated  Ehoderick  Friend,  the  person  then 
holding  the  office.  They  had  not  the  slightest 
idea  that  there  would  be  any  opposing  candidate, 
and  the  nomination  having  been  seconded,  an 
other  member  of  the  ring  arose  and  said  that  as 
there  did  not  seem  to  be  any  other  candidate,  he 
moved  that  the  clerk  of  the  meeting  cast  one  bal 
lot  as  the  vote  of  the  meeting  for  the  gentleman 
nominated. 

Before  the  motion  could  be  put  to  the  meeting, 
Still  again  rose  from  his  seat  and  said:  "Mr. 
Moderator,  ther  gentleman  who  has  jest  spoke 
seems  ter  hev  an  idee  that  this  meetin'  is  all  cut 
an'  dried,  but  I'm  afraid  he's  goin'  ter  be  sur- 

241 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

prised.  It's  customary  ter  see  ef  there  is  any 
more  candidates  before  makin'  any  such  motion, 
an'  that  bein'  ther  case,  I'll  jest  nominate  one, 
jest  ter  make  things  interestin'.  We've  bed  ther 
same  town  officers  now  fer  erbout  ten  years,  an' 
bein'  ez  they're  human,  they've  sort  uv  got  an  idee 
that  nobuddy  else  can  run  things  but  them.  Ther 
result  hez  been  that  things,  in  my  opinion,  hez 
been  goin'  almighty  slipshod.  Ther  tax  collector 
instead  uv  collectin'  hez  jest  sot  'round  an'  let 
people  pay  when  they  got  good  an'  ready.  An' 
this  town  hez  borrowed  money  an'  paid  int'rest 
on  it,  when  ef  ther  collector  hed  jest  gone  out  an' 
stirred  'round  er  bit,  we  wouldn't  hed  ter  bor 
rowed  er  cent.  Top  uv  that,  he's  allowed  some 
people's  taxes  ter  run  so  long  that  they've  moved 
erway  an'  then  ther  money  hez  been  lost,  or  if  it 
wuz  taxes  on  reel  estate,  instead  uv  sellin'  'em 
up  an'  makin'  em  pay,  he's  jest  gone  ter  sleep  till 
ther  town  hez  lost  its  hold  on  ther  property.  Well, 
then,  jest  before  town  mcetin',  when  he's  got  ter 
make  his  report  out  ter  ther  town,  he's  sot  down 
with  ther  selec'men,  an'  they've  crossed  'em  off  an' 
forgive  him  for  what  he's  done.  That  may  be 
er  reel  lovin'  way  uv  doin'  things,  but  'taint  busi- 

242 


STILLMAN    GOTT 

ness. 

"An'  now  I'm  goin'  ter  speak  erbout  somethin' 
that's  er  good  deal  wuss.  I've  been  lookin'  inter 
this  matter  uv  collectin'  taxes  er  little,  an'  I  find 
Mr.  Friend  hez  been  doin'  somethin'  that  is 
mighty  sharp  practice  ef  not  downright  dishon 
esty.  Ez  er  citizen  uv  this  town  I  claimed  ther 
right  ter  see  his  books,  an'  I  find  that  he's  hed 
money  on  hand  an'  lots  uv  it,  time  an'  time  ergin, 
as  tax  collector,  that  he  hez  not  turned  over  to 
himself  as  treasurer,  when  at  the  same  time  bills 
hev  been  actually  suiferin'  ter  be  paid,  an  folks  hev 
hed  ter  wait  fer  ther  money  ther  town  owed  'em. 
I  couldn't  quite  see  at  fust  what  his  reason  wuz, 
but  I  kept  pokin'  'round,  an'  finally  I  found  out. 
It  wuz  this  way.  He  kept  two  accounts  at  the 
county  bank,  one  as  treasurer  an'  one  as  collector. 
Ther  treasurer  account  never  run  very  big,  'cause 
he  kept  it  drawed  down  pretty  fine.  Whenever  he 
put  any  in  that  account,  it  wuz  paid  right  out 
ergin.  But  he  kept  ther  collector's  account  jest 
ez  big  an'  fat  ez  he  possibly  could.  Why?  I'll 
tell  yer.  Any  int'rest  he  got  frum  ther  bank  on 
ther  treasurer's  account,  he  had  ter  allow  ther 
town;  but  ther  selec'men  never  looked  inter  that 

243 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

figger  on  ther  collector's  account,  'cause  he  wuzn't 
s'posed  ter  keep  much  there,  but  ter  be  turnin'  it 
over  to  ther  treasurer's  account.  But  there's 
where  ther  fat  wuz.  An'  all  that  int'rest  Mr. 
Friend  hez  stuffed  in  his  own  pocket,  while  ef  he'd 
run  things  ez  he  orter,  either  ther  town  would  hev 
got  ther  money  er  else  folks  would  hev  been  paid 
sooner.  Now  you  kin  call  it  what  you're  er  mind 
ter.  Them's  ther  facts.  We  want  er  man  who's 
got  some  gimp  an'  fairness  in  him,  and  I  nomi 
nate  Allan  Carter,  uv  Bartlett's  Neck,  fer  town 
treas'rer  an'  tax  collector  for  ther  next  year." 

A  bomb  bursting  in  the  middle  of  the  room 
would  not  have  caused  any  more  consternation  to 
the  "ring"  than  Still's  speech  did.  They  real 
ized  that  there  was  a  formidable  opposition  to 
their  continuing  in  office,  and  they  now  under 
stood  the  reason  for  the  large  attendance  at  the 
meeting.  But  they  were  determined  not  to  give 
up  without  a  struggle,  and  as  soon  as  the  nomina 
tion  of  Allan  Carter  had  been  seconded  the  meet 
ing  proceeded  to  ballot. 

Each  faction  worked  as  never  before,  and  when 
the  result  was  announced,  it  was  seen  that  Allan 
Carter  was  elected  by  a  large  majority.  It  was  a 

244 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

bitter  pill  for  the  ring  to  take,  and  Khoderick 
Friend,  the  defeated  candidate,  arose,  and  with 
a  sneer  remarked  that  he  hoped  the  selectmen 
would  be  careful  to  see  that  Mr.  Carter  gave  a 
good  bond  for  the  town's  protection. 

Before  he  could  take  his  seat,  Still  arose,  and 
with  blazing  eyes,  said: 

"Mr.  Moderator,  this  looks  like  ernother  case 
uv  ther  devil  rebukin'  sin.  Considerin'  ther  large 
ermount  uv  unpaid  taxes  that  Mr.  Carter  will  in 
herit  frum  ther  poor  bizness  ways  uv  fher  soured 
gentleman  that  hez  jest  spoke,  I  move  that  Mr. 
Carter's  bonds  be  made  five  thousand  dollars  big 
ger  than  ther  tax  collector's  bonds  hev  ever  been 
before,  an'  if  Carter  can't  git  ernuff  men  to  go 
bonds  fer  him,  I'll  eat  my  last  summer's  hat.  Ez 
fer  ther  gentleman  who  hez  just  spoke,  he  seems 
ter  me  ter  be  er  little  out  uv  kilter,  an'  I  sh'd  ad 
vise  him  ter  take  er  little  hard  cider  for  ther  next 
few  weeks  an'  see  ef  he  can't  start  his  liver  up." 

Again  the  meeting  roared  with  laughter,  and 
again  the  moderator  was  obliged  to  pound  on  the 
desk  for  order,  although  he  himself  wore  a  broad 
grin. 

When  the  meeting  arrived  at  the  point  where 

245 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

it  was  necessary  to  elect  the  board  of  selectmen, 
the  defeated  faction  attempted  to  prevent  any 
nomination  speeches,  but  the  voters  had  by  that 
time  become  fully  aroused  to  the  importance  of 
the  occasion,  and  the  motion  was  defeated. 

The  "ring"  nominated  the  three  incumbents  of 
the  office,  and  their  leaders  appealed  to  the  citi 
zens  not  to  turn  away  from  what  they  called 
"faithful  servants  of  the  town/'  but  to  show  their 
confidence  in  them  by  re-electing  them.  The  op 
position  to  the  ring  listened  patiently  and  respect 
fully,  and  then  two  good  men  were  nominated  in 
turn  by  leading  citizens  of  the  town.  As  the 
second  nomination  speech  was  finished,  Allan 
Carter  rose  to  his  feet  and  said : 

"Mr.  Moderator — When  I  came  here  today  I 
had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  being  elected  to  of 
fice,  but  I  fully  realize  the  necessity  for  a  change 
from  what  we-  have  been  having  in  the  way  of 
town  officials.  I  shall  do  my  level  best  to  collect 
the  taxes  of  this  town,  but  I  must  have  good  men 
to  help  me.  Give  us  three  selectmen  who  are  in 
sympathy  with  me  in  trying  to  put  the  business 
of  the  town  on  a  common-sense  basis,  and  I  think 
I  can  succeed  in  doing  my  part.  The  two  gentle- 

246 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

men  who  have  been  nominated  are  as  good  as 
could  be  got  in  any  town  in  this  state,  and  I  feel 
that  in  accepting  the  office,  if  they  are  elected, 
they  will  do  so  for  the  good  of  the  town,  and  not 
because  they  want  the  honor  of  being  selectmen. 
Now,  Mr.  Moderator,  if  there  is  any  improvement 
in  the  future  in  the  manner  in  which  things  are 
run  in  this  town,  the  credit  of  it  belongs  almost 
entirely  to  one  man.  While  the  rest  of  us  have 
been  growling  at  the  condition  of  affairs,  yet  none 
of  us  did  a  thing  to  prevent  it.  We  came  to  town 
meeting  after  town  meeting  and  spoke  our  minds, 
but  did  nothing.  The  result  was  that  there  was 
no  improvement.  Finally  one  man  saw  that  talk 
ing  amounted  to  nothing,  and  he  spent  days  going 
around  this  town  asking  people  to  come  to  town 
meeting  and  vote  for  proper  town  officers.  He 
got  some  of  us  stirred  up  to  the  point  where  we 
began  to  urge  people  to  come  out  and  do  their 
duty,  and  you  know  now  what  the  result  has  been 
in  this  election  so  far.  I  know  what  I  am  going 
to  say  will  be  a  great  surprise  to  him,  but  if  you 
see  fit  to  elect  him  to  this  office  I  know  that  he 
will  see  that  it  is  his  duty  to  accept.  The  man 
I  propose  to  nominate  is  as  honest  as  the  day  is 

247 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

long,  and  willing  to  give  his  time  and  attention 
to  the  affairs  of  the  town,  and  he  will  bring  to 
the  board  of  selectmen  a  good  deal  of  sound  com 
mon  sense  and  good  judgment.  I  nominate  Still- 
man  Gott  for  the  third  place  on  the  board  of  se 
lectmen/' 

Another  roar  of  applause,  and  the  balloting  for 
selectmen  began.  The  result  of  the  vote  again 
showed  that  the  old  town  ring  was  overwhelm 
ingly  defeated.  The  successful  candidates  were 
called  upon  for  speeches  by  the  delighted  citizens, 
and  the  speeches  of  the  first  two  selectmen  chosen 
were  models  of  good  sound  country  sense. 

When  Still  was  called  upon  he  declined  at  first 
to  say  anything,  but  the  assemblage  would  not  be 
denied. 

"Feller  citizens/'  he  began,  as  he  arose  from 
his  seat,  "I'm  ther  most  surprised  man  in  this  hall. 
I  read  once  in  er  paper  somewhere  erbout  ther  of 
fice  seekin'  ther  man,  an'  ef  I'd  known  one  wuz 
seekin'  me  I'd  been  out  when  it  rapped  on  my 
door.  I've  been  sayin'  fer  more'n  er  month  that 
we'd  ought  ter  hev  better  men  in  office,  an'  here 
yer've  gone  right  back  on  my  preachin'  an'  'lected 
me,  one  uv  ther  poorest  ones  yer  could  pick  out. 

248 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

I  ain't  no  more  fit  fer  it  than  er  hog  is  ter  sing  in 
er  prayer  meetin'.  It  kinder  looks  ez  though  I 
hed  made  all  this  fuss,  an'  then  turned  out  ther 
way  most  reformers  do.  They  go  'round  hollerin' 
reform,  an'  when  ther  dust  settles  down  an'  folks 
begin  ter  look  eround  fer  ther  dead  an'  wounded, 
they  gen'rally  find  ther  reformers  hev  got  all  ther 
fat  places.  Now,  I'm  mighty  pleased  at  this  vote, 
but  I  guess  I  won't  take  it." 

"Yes,  you  will,"  came  from  all  parts  of  the 
hall,  and  Still  replied:  "Well,  ef  yer  insist,  I'll 
take  it  an'  do  my  best,  an'  ef  yer  find  that  you've 
made  er  mistake,  yer'll  only  hev  ter  suffer  one 
year,  an'  considerin'  ther  two  good  men  you've 
put  on  ther  board  with  me,  I  guess  I  won't  be 
able  ter  do  much  harm,  however  hard  I  try.  I 
thank  yer  ev'ry  one,  an'  hope  er  year  frum  now 
ter  hev  yer  feel  ther  same  way  towards  me  that 
yer  do  now." 

As  the  election  of  the  selectmen  concluded  the 
business  of  the  day,  the  meeting  adjourned,  the 
citizens  still  gathering  in  groups  about  the  town 
hall  and  congratulating  or  commiserating  with 
each  other,  according  as  their  hopes  had  borne 
fruition  or  been  blasted. 


CHAPTER 
NINETEEN 

For  several  weeks  after  Edward  Locke  returned 
to  Boston,  life  appeared  to  him  like  "sounding 
brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal." 

It  was  very  difficult  and  well  nigh  impossible 
for  him  to  bring  his  mind  and  energies  to  bear 
upon  his  work.  He  mourned  the  loss  of  the  girl 
he  loved,  and  in  trying  to  forget  her,  only  remem 
bered  her  the  more. 

But  he  came  of  a  race  of  people  who  for  cen 
turies  had  tilled  the  rocky,  sterile  soil  of  Bartlett 
and  braved  the  dangers  of  its  stormy  waters;  a 
race  that  while  never  very  successful,  yet  never 
knew  what  it  meant  to  give  up  in  despair. 

One  morning  the  editor  under  whom  he  worked 
called  him  into  his  private  office  and  informed 
him  that  he  desired  to  have  him  interview  a  cer 
tain  capitalist  in  the  city  in  regard  to  a  rumor 
that  the  company  controlled  by  the  capitalist  was 
about  to  consolidate  with  a  rival  concern. 

250 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

A  short  walk  took  him  to  the  office  of  the  gen 
tleman  from  whom  the  information  was  desired, 
and  Edward,  sending  in  his  card,  was  soon  ush 
ered  into  the  sanctum  of  his  victim. 

"I  see  by  your  card  that  you  are  connected  with 
one  of  the  newspapers,"  began  the  merchant.  "If 
you  have  anything  to  say  to  me,  say  it  quickly, 
for  I  am  a  very  busy  man.  Short  and  sweet  is 
the  motto  today.  If  you  have  come  in  here  to  get 
any  information  about  my  business  affairs,  you 
may  as  well  go  out  again,  for  I  don't  intend  to 
be  pumped.  Now,  what  is  it?" 

"Well,  sir,"  replied  Edward,  slightly  nettled  by 
his  reception,  "I  have  called  to  ascertain  if  there 
is  to  be  a  consolidation  of  your  company  with 
your  chief  rival  in  business.  That's  what  I  am 
here  for,  to  put  it  short  and  sweet,  as  you  say." 

"I  know  nothing  about  it,"  shouted  the  angry 
man,  as  he  turned  his  back  on  Edward  and  pushed 
a  button  on  his  desk  to  summon  one  of  the  clerks. 

"Thank  you,  sir,  for  the  information,"  replied 
Edward.  "That  is  just  exactly  what  we  wanted 
to  find  out."  And  making  a  low  bow  he  turned 
toward  the  door. 

"Here,  here,  what's  that  you  said?" 

251 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Why,"  replied  Edward,  "you  informed  me 
that  you  knew  nothing  about  it,  and  I  thanked 
you  for  the  information.  If  you  know  nothing 
about  it,  then  certainly  the  rumor  of  a  consolida 
tion  is  not  founded  upon  fact." 

"Sharp  this  morning,  eh?  Well,  now,  young 
man,  let  me  tell  you  that  I  don't  propose  to  be 
interviewed  at  all  upon  this  subject,  and  I  don't 
propose  to  give  any  information  as  to  whether 
there  is  going  to  be  a  consolidation  or  not.  That 
is  what  I  mean  by  saying  I  don't  know  anything 
about  it.  If  there  is  to  be  any  consolidation,  it 
is  a  private  business  affair,  and  the  public  are 
not  interested  in  any  way.  Now  I  trust  you  un 
derstand  my  position  in  the  matter?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  do,"  replied  Edward,  "and  I  won't 
trouble  you  any  more.  But  if  I  find  out  anything 
about  the  affair  elsewhere,  I  will  send  you  word, 
as  perhaps  you  would  like  the  information  your 
self." 

During  all  this  conversation  the  merchant  had 
kept  his  back  turned  to  Edward,  but  at  this  last 
remark  he  turned  his  chair  around  and  stared  at 
the  young  men. 

"See  here,"  he  said,  "you  are  either  stupid  to 

252 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  last  degree,  or  the  most  persistent  young  man 
it  was  ever  my  ill  fortune  to  meet.  Now  you  go 
ahead  and  find  out  all  you  can.  If,  when  you 
return  to  this  office,  you  have  obtained  any  infor 
mation  that  is  reliable  and  correct,  I  will  admit 
it  and  tell  you  the  whole  story.  Good  day,  sir." 

Edward  returned  to  the  newspaper  office  sick 
at  heart  at  the  ill  success  of  his  first  important 
assignment,  and  sought  the  room  of  his  chief. 

"Well,  Locke,  did  you  get  the  story?"  was  his 
greeting. 

"No,  sir,  I  didn't.  The  party  you  directed  me 
to  interview  claimed  he  knew  nothing  about  the 
matter  and  refused  to  be  interviewed.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  he  knows  all  about  it,  but  he  won't 
talk  for  publication." 

"Won't,  eh?"  replied  the  editor,  grimly.  "Well, 
then  we  must  make  him.  We  are  going  to  print 
a  story  about  that  consolidation,  and  as  we  don't 
want  to  print  an  incorrect  one,  we  will  get  all  the 
truth  we  can  some  other  way,  let  him  see  that  we 
have  it,  and  then  he  will,  in  my  opinion,  talk  too 
much  rather  than  too  little.  Wait  a  moment." 
Touching  one  of  a  number  of  buttons  on  his 
desk,  a  boy  quickly  appeared,  and  the  editor  said, 

253 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"See  if  you  can  call  William  J.  Winthrop  on  the 
telephone,  and  if  you  can  get  him,  tell  him  that 
I  am  going  to  send  a  young  man  down  to  see  him 
on  an  important  matter." 

Turning  around  to  his  desk  he  rapidly  wrote  a 
few  lines,  and  placing  the  paper  in  an  envelope 
addressed  it,  meanwhile  giving  Edward  a  few 
short,  snappy  instructions.  "There,  Mr.  Locke," 
he  said,  "take  that  letter,  see  the  party  it  is  ad 
dressed  to,  and  take  nothing  in  the  way  of  an  an 
swer  but  the  full  correct  story,  then  see  your  close- 
mouthed  friend  and  get  his  final  answer." 

Edward  soon  arrived  at  the  office  of  the  gen 
tleman  to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed,  and  hav 
ing  been  ushered  into  his  office,  handed  him  the 
letter. 

"Nothing  to  say,"  was  the  first  remark,  as  he 
finished  reading  the  note.  "Sorry  I  cannot  ac 
commodate  you,  but  I  don't  feel  at  liberty  to  talk. 
Very  nice  of  you  to  be  so  attentive  and  interested 
in  us,  you  know,  but  really  this  is  a  private  mat 
ter,  so  to  speak,  and  we  prefer  to  keep  it  to  our 
selves." 

"But  it  is  not  a  private  matter  any  longer,"  re 
plied  Edward,  with  a  smile.  "We  have  a  story, 

254 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

which,  although  incomplete,  we  shall  feel  war 
ranted  in  printing.  Now  it  seems  to  me  that  you 
would  rather  have  us  print  the  correct  account 
than  an  incorrect  one.  We  can  head  our  story  'It 
is  rumored/  you  know,  and  thereby  cover  our  re 
treat  in  case  we  are  wrong.  Eumor,  you  know, 
has  winged  feet,  even  though  she  is  a  little  hard 
of  hearing.  I  presume  that  you  fear  that  a  pre 
mature  disclosure  of  your  plans  may  work  you 
harm,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  a  story  half  right, 
half  wrong,  would  hurt  you  more.  I  do  not  mean 
my  remarks  to  be  taken  in  the  least  respect  as  a 
threat.  You  know  the  managers  of  our  paper  too 
well  to  imagine  for  one  moment  that  they  would 
stoop  to  that.  But  print  a  story  we  shall,  and  we 
are  only  anxious  to  get  the  correct  one." 

The  gentleman  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then 
said,  "Putting  it  on  that  ground,  young  man,  I 
think  you  are  right.  Now,  I  do  not  wish  to  be 
quoted  in  the  slightest  degree;  my  name  must  be 
kept  out  of  the  matter  entirely,  and  if  you  can 
assure  me  that  will  be  done,  you  can  take  out  your 
note  book  and  begin  to  make  marks  while  I  make 
remarks,"  he  added  with  a  smile. 

Assuring  him  that  his  confidence  would  not  be 

255 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

abused,  Edward  quickly  took  notes  while  the  mer 
chant  sat  back  in  his  chair  and  rapidly  told  the 
history  of  the  whole  affair  in  question. 

In  one  hour's  time  Edward  returned  to  the  of 
fice  of  the  president  of  the  company,  sent  in  his 
card,  and  the  next  moment  was  occupying  a  chair 
beside  the  desk  of  the  merchant. 

"Well,  sir,  given  it  up,  have  you  ?"  inquired  the 
magnate.  "Don't  blame  you  a  bit.  Hard  work 
to  find  out  things  that  people  don't  intend  you  to 
know." 

"But  I  have  found  out/'  answered  Edward, 
with  a  smile. 

"Found  out!  Found  out  what?"  inquired  the 
astonished  man. 

"Why,  found  out  that  there  is  going  to  be  a 
consolidation.  In  fact,  I  have  found  out  that  it 
has  already  been  completed." 

"Young  man,  where  did  you  get  that  informa 
tion  ?  If  you  will  tell  me,  I  will  write  you  a  check 
for  one  hundred  dollars/'  said  the  now  angry 
man. 

"Couldn't  tell  you,  sir.  I  promised  that  I  would 
not  reveal  the  name  of  the  informant." 

"I  will  make  it  five  hundred  dollars." 

256 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"No,  sir,  nor  five  thousand  dollars/'  replied 
Edward  firmly.  "I  gave  my  word  and  I'm  going 
to  keep  it." 

"You  are,  eh?  Well,  now,  look  here,  I  am  a 
little  put  out,  so  to  speak,  because  the  matter  has 
leaked  out,  but  the  offers  of  money  I  have  made 
you  were  only  to  find  out  what  sort  of  a  person 
you  were.  Now  as  you  have  got  part  of  the  story, 
I  will  keep  my  word  and  tell  you  the  rest  of 
it."  And  the  merchant  proceeded  to  relate  all 
the  circumstances  that  led  up  to  the  consoli 
dation  of  the  two  rivals.  It  was  the  old  story 
of  a  fight  that  had  cost  each  corporation  an  im 
mense  amount  of  money  before  they  had  realized 
that  the  "dear  public"  was  reaping  the  benefit, 
while  they  were  only  hurting  themselves.  By  con 
solidating,  prices  could  be  maintained  at  a  point 
where  a  better  profit  could  be  obtained  and  ex 
pense  materially  reduced. 

As  soon  as  the  full  account  of  the  transaction 
had  been  obtained,  Edward  returned  to  the  office 
where  he  was  employed  and  wrote  out  his  story 
for  the  paper.  It  was  only  an  incident  in  his  work 
as  far  as  he  knew,  and  the  whole  matter  passed 
out  of  his  mind  until  it  was  recalled  by  his  re- 

257 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ceiving  a  letter  from  the  president  of  the  new 
consolidation,  who  proved  to  be  the  gentleman 
whom  he  had  interviewed,  asking  Edward  to  call 
on  him. 

That  afternoon  he  called  at  the  office  of  the 
company,  and  on  being  admitted  to  the  president's 
room  was  greeted  pleasantly  by  the  busy  man,  who 
begged  to  be  excused  for  a  moment  while  he  fin 
ished  dictating  some  letters. 

As  soon  as  they  were  finished,  turning  around, 
he  inquired  in  a  quick,  abrupt  manner,  "Do  you 
like  newspaper  work?" 

"Yes,  sir,  very  much,"  replied  Edward. 

"Do  you  like  it  so  well  that  you  could  not  pos 
sibly  leave  it  for  a  few  weeks,  if  you  were  well 
paid  for  your  services?" 

"No,  I  don't  say  that.  I  like  it  better1  than 
anything  I  have  tried  yet,  and  I  am  succeeding 
slowly,  but  still  as  fast  as  I  could  expect  to  for  a 
beginner.  Why,  is  there  anything  I  can  do  for 
you,  sir,  in  return  for  the  favor  you  did  me?" 
asked  Edward. 

"Yes,  I  think  there  is.  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  that  you  are  the  person  to  get  some  infor 
mation  for  us.  You  seem  to  have  a  nose  for  news, 

258 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  if  you  are  as  persistent  in  getting  information 
for  us  as  you  were  in  getting  it  out  of  us,  you  can 
be  decidedly  useful/'  said  the  merchant  smilingly. 
"I  have  made  arrangements  with  the  editor-in- 
chief  of  your  paper,  who  happens  to  be  a  friend 
of  mine,  to  give  you  a  vacation  of  four  weeks  or 
more  if  necessary,  and  I  wish  you  would  make 
your  arrangements  to  go  out  of  town  for  about 
that  length  of  time.  The  matter  I  want  you  to 
look  up  is,  perhaps,  a  little  different  from  what 
you  have  been  doing,  and  yet  in  the  same  line. 
What  do  you  say  to  the  proposition?" 

"I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  do  it,"  said  Edward. 
"In  the  first  place,  I  shall  have  the  opportunity  of 
returning  a  favor,  and  then,  again,  it  will  be  a 
rest  and  change  for  me  for  a  short  time,  and  that 
is  just  what  I  want  at  present." 

"Very  w^elL,  as  you  have  decided  to  accept  the 
proposition,  see  your  manager  today  and  make 
arrangements  to  start  tomorrow  night.  Of  course, 
I  shall  want  you  to  call  here  tomorrow  after  lunch 
in  order  that  I  may  talk  over  the  matter  with  you 
and  arrange  the  plan  of  action.  Good-by,  until 
then." 

And  Edward,  expressing  his  thanks  for  the  con- 

259 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

fidence  reposed  in  him,  left  the  office. 

The  next  day  at  two  o'clock  he  called  again  at 
the  office  of  his  new  temporary  employer,  and, 
seating  himself  in  a  chair  at  the  side  of  the  desk, 
said:  "Now,  sir,  I  am  ready  for  your  instruc 
tions  and  orders." 

"All  ready,  are  you,  to  start  for  either  the  north 
pole  or  China?" 

"Yes,  although  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is  quite 
a  distance  to  go  to  transact  any  business  and  re 
turn  in  four  weeks,"  answered  Edward  with  a 
smile. 

"Well,  now  I  will  tell  you  what  I  do  want  of 
you  and  where  you  are  to  go.  This  company  has 
branch  offices  in  every  important  city  in  the 
United  States,  each  office  being  in  charge  of  a 
manager,  so  called.  He  handles  all  receipts  from 
the  sale  of  goods,  pays  all  running  expenses,  and 
remits  the  balance  once  a  month  to  the  treasurer's 
department  of  the  company.  Of  course,  we  have 
a  system  of  book-keeping  whereby  we  are  enabled 
to  keep  a  check  upon  his  accounts  to  a  certain  ex 
tent.  That  is,  we  know  what  goods  are  shipped 
to  him,  and  we  are  supposed  to  know  to  whom 
they  are  sold,  and  what  accounts  are  paid.  He 

260 


STILLMAN    GOTT 

has  authority  to  indorse  checks  for  deposit  only 
in  a  bank  account  standing  in  our  name,  and  can 
draw  against  the  amount  for  the  purpose  of  re 
mitting  to  us,  but  for  no  other  purpose.  If  the 
amount  received  from  cash  sales  is  not  enough 
to  pay  running  expenses,  then  he  draws  upon  us 
for  the  balance.  For  the  past  twelve  months  ac 
counts  received  from  our  agent  in  Chicago  show 
two  things  that  are  surprising.  First,  the  sales 
have  been  gradually  getting  smaller,  and,  in  the 
second  place,  accounts  due  us  have  been  paid  much 
more  slowly  than  formerly.  It  may  be  that  every 
thing  is  all  right,  but  I  am  afraid  not.  We  want 
you  to  go  out  there  and  investigate  matters  for 
us,  without  giving  the  manager  the  slightest  ink 
ling  of  what  we  are  doing.  Then  report  to  us, 
and  we  will  then  know  what  to  do.  It  may  seem 
strange  to  you  that  we  do  not  employ  some  de 
tective  agency  for  this  purpose,  but  I  hope  the 
man  is  innocent  of  any  wrongdoing,  and  conse 
quently  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  employing  a  de 
tective.  You  may  think  that  I  am  splitting  hairs 
when  I  object  to  employing  a  detective,  and  yet 
ask  you  to  do  practically  the  same  work  a  detec 
tive  would  do,  but  it  is  a  whim  of  mine  and  I 

261 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

wish  the  affair  investigated  in  this  way.  Here 
is  a  letter  of  full  power  to  act  in  the  matter,  so 
that  whatever  you  may  see  fit  to  do  will  be  author 
ized  in  advance  and  save  you  any  trouble.  I  want 
you  to  start  tonight  for  Chicago,  and  investigate 
this  matter  thoroughly.  Do  you  know  anything 
about  book-keeping?" 

"Yes/'  answered  Edward,  "I  know  as  much  as 
any  young  fellow  who  has  graduated  from  a  coun 
try  academy  and  has  never  had  any  experience. 
That  is,  I  can  write  a  fair  hand,  add  correctly,  and 
think  I  can  keep  a  simple  set  of  books  as  soon  as 
I  learn  how  my  employer  wishes  his  particular  set 
kept." 

"All  right,"  answered  the  president,  "I  will 
write  a  letter  to  our  Chicago  manager,  telling 
him  you  are  coming  to  fill  the  place  of  the  book 
keeper  who  has  just  resigned,  and  that  will  give 
you  a  day  or  two  after  your  arrival  to  look  around 
and  size  up  things  before  you  present  yourself. 
Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open  and  your  mouth 
closed,  and  report  as  often  as  your  good  judgment 
tells  you  to.  Step  to  the  cashier's  desk  as  you  go 
out  and  draw  one  hundred  dollars  on  account  of 
expenses.  Your  salary  as  book-keeper  will  be  paid 

262 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

you  at  the  Chicago  office  monthly  by  the  manager, 
and  if  you  need  more  don't  hesitate  to  inform  us 
to  that  effect.  I  will  settle  with  you  on  your  re 
turn  for  your  service  in  the  matter.  Good-by  and 
good  luck." 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY 

A  week  later  Edward  was  busily  employed  as 
book-keeper  in  the  Chicago  office  of  the  great  cor 
poration,  working,  watching  and  waiting. 

He  had  taken  the  first  opportunity  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  some  newspaper  men,  but  all  he 
could  learn  from  them  directly  or  indirectly  about 
his  superior  in  the  office  was  to  his  credit.  Ap 
parently  he  had  no  habits,  good,  bad  or  indiffer 
ent,  and  the  same  report  received  from  the  news 
paper  men  was  confirmed  by  other  persons  who 
resided  at  the  same  hotel  with  the  manager.  He 
dressed  quietly,  occasionally  went  to  the  theatre, 
but  on  the  other  hand  went  to  church  quite  regu 
larly.  Even  his  piety  was  not  so  pronounced  as 
to  arouse  suspicion,  and  yet  according  to  reports 
received  from  the  Boston  office,  matters  were  be 
coming  worse,  rather  than  better  since  his  arrival. 

264 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Finally,  one  Saturday  morning,  the  manager 
announced  that  he  was  going  out  of  town  to  spend 
Sunday  with  some  friends  and  would  not  return 
until  Monday  noon,  and  the  opportunity  arose 
for  Edward  to  carry  into  execution  a  plan  that 
was  to  bring  about  either  success  or  failure  and 
which  he  had  had  in  mind  for  some  time.  That 
evening  after  dinner  he  returned  to  the  store,  and 
locking  the  door  and  pulling  down  the  curtains 
in  the  street  windows,  went  to  work. 

The  books  were  compared  carefully  for  the 
year  past  with  the  accounts  of  shipments  fur 
nished  him  by  the  "home  office,"  and,  as  far  as  the 
receipts  of  goods  were  concerned,  found  absolutely 
correct.  The  sales  books  were  then  examined, 
and,  as  far  as  could  be  ascertained,  the  price  set 
opposite  each  quantity  sold  was  correct  and  com 
pared  correctly  with  each  customer's  account. 
Where  was  the  leak? 

Both  the  open  accounts  and  the  record  of  cash 
sales  varied  properly  and  naturally  according  to 
the  busy  or  dull  season  in  the  business.  It  was 
going  to  be  more  difficult  to  find  the  hole  in  the 
dam  than  Edward  had  anticipated  when  he  first 
began  his  investigations.  The  supply  was  con- 

265 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

stant  and  regular,  the  dam  was  apparently  solid; 
not  a  timber  gone,  no  stream  of  water  gushing 
through  a  large  orifice,  and  yet  the  pond  was 
slowly  but  surely  settling  and  the  water  becoming 
shallower  instead  of  deeper  every  day. 

A  tired,  perplexed  man  sought  his  bed  that 
night  long  after  the  bells  of  the  city  had  mourn 
fully  rung  out  twelve  o'clock,  and  ill  success  lay 
down  with  him,  and  impending  defeat,  perched 
on  the  footboard,  grinned  at  him,  and  would  not 
let  him  sleep. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  but  "necessity  knows 
no  law,"  and  as  early  as  possible  Edward  was 
again  at  the  office.  The  amount  of  goods  sold 
for  both  cash  and  the  amount  sold  on  credit  were 
added  together  and  then  deducted  from  the  total 
receipts  of  goods  sent  from  the  home  office,  and 
as  a  matter  of  figures  Edward  argued  to  himself 
that  the  stock  on  hand  ought  to  equal  the  differ 
ence  if  the  business  was  being  conducted  in  an 
honest  manner.  The  stock  taking  occupied  him 
all  day,  but  as  the  goods  were  all  of  one  kind  and 
most  of  them  still  in  the  original  packages,  it 
was  a  comparatively  simple  matter,  the  main 
thing  being  to  keep  a  strict  account  of  the  differ- 

266 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ent  sizes  and  weights  and  carefully  check  up  the 
broken  packages. 

Night  came,  and  this  work  was  accomplished, 
and  the  tired  investigator  sat  down  to  strike  the 
balance.  There  was  a  shortage  of  two  thousand 
dollars,  but  this  did  not  seem  to  be  sufficient  in 
the  opinion  of  Edward  to  arouse  suspicion  in  the 
minds  of  so  large  a  corporation,  extending  as  it 
did  over  a  period  of  a  year,  and  considering  the 
amount  of  the  business  transacted. 

What  next?  Was  the  money  stolen  from  the 
cash  sales?  It  did  not  seem  as  though  there  were 
enough  of  them  to  permit  any  considerable 
amount  to  be  taken  without  arousing  suspicion. 
Could  he  be  taking  the  checks  and  collecting  the 
proceeds  for  his  own  benefit?  That  was  impos 
sible,  for  all  checks  for  the  payment  of  goods  sold 
were  made  payable  to  the  corporation,  and  the 
manager  could  indorse  them  for  deposit  only. 
Again,  he  could  only  sign  checks  payable  to  the 
corporation  in  the  matter  of  withdrawing  money 
from  the  bank.  What  was  the  method  used,  if 
any? 

Again  the  books  were  consulted  and  carefully 
examined.  It  was  soon  apparent  that  if  the  books 

267 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

were  correct,  collections  of  open  accounts  were 
remarkably  slow.  Almost  every  account  of  any 
magnitude  showed  that  goods  purchased  were  not 
paid  for  before  six  months  after  sale  and  delivery, 
and  yet  the  parties  to  whom  the  goods  had  been 
sold  were  firms  and  corporations  whose  rating  and 
financial  standing  were  of  the  best. 

As  Edward  placed  the  books  back  in  the  safe, 
and  was  about  to  lock  the  door  and  admit  that 
he  was  beaten,  it  occurred  to  him  to  examine  the 
contents  of  a  small  locked  compartment  used  by 
the  manager  for  his  personal  effects.  It  was  a 
very  hazardous  thing  to  do,  but  it  was  the  last 
resort.  The  door  of  this  compartment  was  locked 
with  an  old-fashioned  lock,  but,  after  looking  the 
whole  office  over  and  gathering  together  all  the 
keys  he  could  find,  he  was  fortunate  enough  to 
find  a  key  that,  with  a  little  filing,  opened  the 
door. 

The  contents  were  soon  removed  and  exam 
ined.  Fifteen  deposit  books  of  as  many  savings 
banks,  all  standing  in  the  name  of  the  manager, 
and  an  account  book  comprised  the  articles  ob 
tained  in  this  manner.  The  deposit  books  showed 
an  aggregate  deposit  of  nearly  ten  thousand  dol- 

268 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

lars,  all  deposited  within  a  year,  and  the  dates  of 
the  entries  showing  that  money  had  been  placed 
to  the  credit  of  the  owner  of  the  books  in  some 
one  of  the  banks  almost  every  week. 

If  the  money  had  been  deposited  in  the  differ 
ent  banks  at  the  same  time,  Edward  argued  with 
himself  that  it  might  have  been  the  result  of  some 
lucky  investment  or  an  inheritance  from  some  un 
known  rich  relative.  But  the  dates  showed,  on 
the  other  hand,  a  steady  income  from  some  source 
other  than  the  unexpected. 

Placing  the  books  aside  for  a  moment,  Edward 
picked  up  the  account  book  and  looked  it  over. 
An  exclamation  of  surprise  burst  from  his  lips, 
and  with  the  book  in  his  hand  he  hurried  from 
the  safe  to  the  desk  where  he  had  placed  the  ac 
count  books  of  the  office. 

The  books  of  the  firm,  when  compared  with 
the  small  book  taken  from  the  safe,  showed  ac 
count  after  account  still  unpaid,  as  far  as  recent 
sales  were  concerned,  while  the  small  book  con 
tained  entries  of  partial  payments  of  the  same 
accounts,  the  date  of  payment,  the  amounts  paid 
and  the  name  of  the  party  paying  being  all  given 
in  regular  order.  Some  of  the  older  entries  in 

269 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  small  book  were  marked  with  a  red  check,  and 
on  comparison  of  these  with  the  business  books 
the  same  payments  occurred  credited,  but  on  a 
much  later  date,  while  all  those  entries  on  the 
small  book  not  checked  did  not  appear  on  the 
regular  books  at  all. 

It  was  robbing  Peter  to  pay  Paul,  but  how  had 
Paul  been  "held  up"  on  the  start? 

Most  of  the  accounts  Edward  knew  had  been, 
paid  by  checks  which  the  manager  could  not  pos 
sibly  use,  and  must  deposit.  Again  the  private 
book  was  consulted,  and  in  the  back  part  was 
found  the  solution  of  the  mystery.  There  ap 
peared  another  set  of  entries  headed  "Cash,"  dates 
and  amounts  being  written,  and  these  amounts 
and  dates  compared  almost  exactly  with  the 
amounts  and  dates  in  the  savings  bank  books. 

So  far,  so  good.  Light  was  breaking,  but  bright 
daylight  had  not  appeared  as  yet.  Cash  was  being 
taken,  and  yet  the  cash  sales  were  not  lessened 
apparently.  Checks  were  received  on  account  of 
credit  sales,  deposited  in  the  bank,  and  yet  the  ac 
counts  were  not  credited  with  these  amounts.  The 
water  was  getting  deeper,  but  no  clearer.  What 
was  the  scheme?  Suddenly  an  idea  came  to  Ed- 

270 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ward.  The  young  lady  typewriter  employed  in 
the  office  might  be  able  to  answer  a  question  that 
would  throw  the  needed  light  on  the  matter. 

Locking  up  the  safe,  he  left  the  office,  and,  tak 
ing  a  car,  in  a  short  half-hour  was  at  the  residence 
of  the  young  lady,  and  in  a  few  moments  after 
he  had  been  ushered  into  the  parlor  she  entered 
the  room. 

"This  is  an  unexpected  pleasure,  Mr.  Locke,  but 
none  the  less  welcome,"  she  said,  as  she  smilingly 
extended  her  hand  to  the  young  man,  who  in  his 
embarrassment  knew  not  what  to  say  when  she 
first  entered  the  room.  The  pleasant  welcome  re 
assured  him,  however,  and  he  replied:  "You 
really  must  excuse  me  for  calling  before  I  was 
invited  to  do  so,  and  especially  Sunday  evening, 
but  I  am  investigating  a  certain  mystery,  and  I 
think  I  have  arrived  at  the  correct  solution.  If 
your  answers  to  the  questions  I  am  going  to  ask 
you  are  what  I  anticipate  they  will  be,  my  task  is 
ended." 

"Well,  knowing  that  you  are  not  going  to  ask 
the  all  important  question  for  every  woman  the 
first  time  you  call,  I  think  I  can  safely  promise 
you  that  I  will  answer  any  and  all  questions  you 

271 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

may  ask." 

"I  have  noticed/'  began  Edward,  his  face  crim 
son  at  her  reply,  "that  you  generally  make  the 
daily  deposit  at  the  bank,  and  I  desire  to  ask  you 
whether  the  deposits  are  checks,  or  cash,  or  both. 
You  may  naturally  hesitate  about  answering  such 
a  pointed  question,  but  if  you  will  read  this  let 
ter,  you  will  see  that  I  am  authorized  to  ask  you 
for  any  necessary  information,"  he  continued,  as 
he  handed  the  girl  the  letter  the  president  of  the 
corporation  had  furnished  him. 

What  a  pretty  girl  she  is !  thought  Edward,  as 
he  watched  her  face  while  she  read  the  letter. 

The  light  of  the  evening  lamp  on  the  table 
shone  on  her  chestnut  hair  until  she  looked  like  a 
queen  wearing  her  crown,  and  for  the  first  time 
he  noticed  her  regular,  beautiful  features  and 
pretty  hands.  And  what  a  pleasant  voice  and 
manner  she  had.  How  strange  it  was  that  he  had 
never  noticed  it  before,  except  from  a  business 
standpoint.  And  she  made  a  fellow  seem  so  much 
at  ease !  Why,  she  always  seemed  so  cool  and  for 
mal  in  the  office,  that  really  you  never  thought 
of  noticing  her  looks  or  ways. 

Well  bred,  too,  that  was  evident,  and  judging 

272 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

by  the  piano,  the  books  and  pictures  in  the  room 
and  the  rugs  on  the  floor,,  the  daughter  of  edu 
cated  parents,  of  good  taste  and  refinement. 

"Mr.  Locke,"  a  voice  said,  "this  must  be  a  very 
important  matter  to  you  when  you  are  so  busily 
engaged  thinking  about  it  that  I  am  obliged  to 
speak  your  name  the  second  time  before  you  no 
tice  me." 

The  next  moment  Edward  had  descended  from 
the  clouds  to  earth  again,  and  replied,  "Yes,  I  am 
very  much  worried  over  this  matter,  you  see,  and 
so  did  not  notice  what  you  said — " 

"What  I  started  to  say,  Mr.  Locke,  was,  that  I 
am  willing  to  answer  your  question.  Yes,  I  gen 
erally  make  the  deposits  in  the  bank,  and  very 
seldom  deposit  anything  but  checks.  I  don't 
think  I  have  deposited  any  money  for  a  year,  al 
though  I  often  did  so  under  the  former  manager. 
I  asked  one  of  the  salesmen  one  day  about  it,  and 
he  said  that  he  noticed  the  manager  counting 
quite  a  large  sum  of  money  in  bills  on  one  occa 
sion,  and  the  manager  informed  him  that  he  did 
not  deposit  the  cash  at  all,  but  went  to  the  bank 
personally  and  exchanged  money  for  cashier's 
checks  payable  to  the  treasurer  of  the  corporation 

273 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  sent  them  in  that  form.  It  is  possible,  of 
course,  that  the  statement  is  true,  but  I  never 
write  any  letter  to  accompany  any  such  remit 
tance,  and  if  he  writes  the  letters  himself  he  never 
copies  them  in  the  copybook;  on  the  other  hand, 
in  every  letter  I  do  write  enclosing  a  check  on  ac 
count  of  receipts,  he  always  states  in  the  account 
I  make  that  such  a  part  of  the  check  is  for  cash 
sales." 

"Have  you  any  idea,"  asked  Edward,  "what  the 
cash  sales  have  averaged  the  past  year?" 

"I  should  say  five  hundred  dollars  a  week,  and 
the  expenses  about  three  hundred  dollars  a  week, 
not  including  rent,  as  that  is  paid  by  the  treas 
urer  direct,  of  course.  I  can  only  judge  by  the 
statement  given  me  by  the  manager  to  copy.  He 
has  always  had  the  book-keeper  take  off  the  books 
a  statement,  and  then  he  always  kept  that  him 
self  and  made  out  one  for  me  to  copy  in  his  own 
handwriting.  And  now  that  I  think  of  it,  I  re 
member  that  when  he  first  took  charge  of  the  of 
fice  he  instructed  me  on  no  account  to  inform  any 
of  the  employers  of  the  nature  of  the  statements 
made  by  him  to  the  main  office,  and  each  night  he 
locks  the  copybook  up  in  his  desk.  You  don't  im- 

274 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

agine,  Mr.  Locke,  that  there  is  anything  wrong, 
do  you?" 

"Miss  Harrison,  I  don't  believe  that  you  would 
be  any  more  willing  to  shield  or  assist  a  thief  than 
I  would  be,  and,  therefore,  I  will  tell  you  the 
truth,  relying  on  your  discretion  and  common 
sense  to  tell  you  that  the  less  you  say  to  any  one 
about  the  matter  the  better.  The  manager  has 
embezzled  about  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  I  now 
have  all  the  proof  I  want,  and  I  know  how  he  has 
accomplished  it.  He  has  embezzled  some  cash 
outright  from  sales,  about  two  thousand  dollars. 
That  is  shown  by  the  shortage  in  stock,  but  the 
rest  has  been  accomplished  by  withholding  ac 
counts  paid  by  check  and  carrying  them  on  the 
books  as  unpaid.  This  is  an  easy  thing  for  him 
to  do,  as  he  personally  opens  the  mail.  The  book 
keeper  never  saw  the  checks  inclosed,  simply  be 
ing  informed  by  the  manager  to  credit  certain  ac 
counts  with  certain  amounts,  and  as  all  bills  were 
submitted  to  him  before  being  sent  out  by  you, 
he  could  easily  avoid  the  mistake  of  having  a  cus 
tomer  dunned  for  a  bill  already  paid.  When  an 
account  remained  unpaid  so  long  as  to  arouse  the 
suspicions  of  the  book-keeper,  he  would  tell  him 

275 


STILLMAN   GOTT 

to  credit  the  accounts  with  some  amount  which 
was  easily  covered  by  using  the  amount  received 
from  some  other  customer.  Meanwhile,  with  the 
proceeds  of  other  checks  not  properly  credited  but 
deposited,  he  was  accounting  for  the  cash  sales. 
In  other  words,  while  he  was  stealing  cash,  his 
accounts  rendered  to  the  treasurer  would,  appar 
ently,  show  prompt  remittance  of  cash  sales  and 
very  slow  collections  of  open  accounts." 

"But,  Mr.  Locke,  he  is  a  man  of  the  best  of 
habits,  or  rather  I  might  say  he  has  no  habits. 
What  did  he  take  the  money  for?" 

"I  will  tell  you.  He  is  one  of  a  very  small  class 
of  thieves — a  saving  thief.  One  who  steals  and 
saves  his  stealings  until  he  has  got  an  amount 
that  will  satisfy  him,  and  then  disappears  to  live 
somewhere  in  quiet  on  his  small  fortune.  Now, 
if  you  will  excuse  me,  I  must  go,  for  I  have  a  deal 
yet  to  do  tonight  before  I  cease  working.  I  thank 
you  very  much  for  the  assistance  you  have  given 
me  in  this  matter,  and  again  let  me  caution  you 
to  say  nothing  about  the  matter.  Good  night." 

''Good  night,  Mr.  Locke;  I  should  be  pleased  to 
have  you  call  again,  if  you  would  like  to,  but  trust 
our  conversation  will  be  of  a  pleasanter  nature." 

276 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Ami  Edward,  again  saying  good  night  and  ac 
cepting  her  offer  to  call  again,  went  as  quickly  as 
possible  to  the  nearest  telegraph  office  and  sent  a 
telegram  to  the  president,  saying:  "Shortage  ten 
thousand.  Shall  I  arrest  and  convict,  or  try  to 
recover  money?  Answer." 

The  next  morning  Edward  received  a  telegram 
from  the  president,  short  and  characteristic  of  the 
man  who  ruled  and  governed  the  great  corpora 
tion.  It  was  as  follows: 

"Mr.  Edward  Locke,  Chicago,  111.  Convict  and 
collect.  Do  both."  "John  Whiting." 

One  week  later  the  money  was  collected,  and 
the  former  manager  safely  locked  up  for  the  next 
five  years.  And  it  was  fervently  hoped  by  Ed 
ward  that  during  that  time  he  would  have  ample 
opportunity  to  memorize  the  commandment, 
"Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  or  pursue  the  study  of 
Latin  to  at  least  the  point  where  he  would  know 
the  difference  in  meaning  between  meum  and 
tuum. 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY-ONE 

A  few  days  later  Edward  Locke  presented  him 
self  in  the  office  of  the  company  in  Boston  and 
sent  in  his  card  to  the  inner  office  of  the  presi 
dent.  As  soon  as  he  was  ushered  in  the  president 
arose  from  his  chair,  and,  shaking  the  hand  of  the 
young  man,  said :  "Young  man,  you  have  proved 
to  be  just  the  sort  of  person  I  thought  you  were. 
I  sent  you  to  Chicago  to  ascertain  if  there  was 
any  stealing  going  on,  and  you  not  only  found  out 
that  there  was,  but  you  also  discovered  who  the 
thief  was,  had  him  punished,  and  recovered  our 
money.  Now  you  have  completed  your  side  of 
the  bargain,  and  only  our  side  remains.  First,  let 
us  settle  the  money  end.  As  book-keeper  you  are 
entitled  to  twenty  dollars  a  week,  which  I  am  in 
formed  you  did  not  draw,  four  weeks,  eighty  dol 
lars.  As  investigator,  if  I  may  call  you  by  that 
name — well,  a  good  detective  agency  would  have 

278 


STILLMAN    GOTT 

charged  us  eight  dollars  a  day  and  expenses.  Your 
expenses  have  been  paid.  Forty-eight  days  at 
eight  dollars  is  three  hundred  and  eighty-four  dol 
lars;  as  collector,  you  collected  our  money.  Sup 
pose  we  say  a  lawyer's  fee  of  ten  per  cent.,  which 
would  be  one  thousand  dollars.  Total,  fourteen 
hundred  and  sixty-four  dollars — round  numbers, 
fifteen  hundred  dollars." 

Quickly  pushing  a  button  on  his  desk,  he  said 
to  the  clerk  who  answered  the  summons,  "Mr. 
Simpson,  have  a  check  made  payable  to  Edward 
Locke  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and  he  will  get 
it  at  the  cashier's  desk  when  he  comes  out." 

Then,  turning  again  to  the  astonished  Edward, 
he  said  quickly :  "Not  a  word,  young  man.  When 
we  buy  brain,  we  expect  to  pay  brain  prices.  Now 
I  am  going  to  make  a  proposition  to  you,  and  I 
want  you  to  think  it  over  and  let  me  know  your 
reply  tomorrow.  Brains  today  are  a  scarce  ar 
ticle,  and  command  as  high  a  premium  as,  well, 
our  stock,"  he  added  with  a  smile.  "We  can  hire 
all  the  machines  we  want  in  the  way  of  ordinary 
book-keepers,  salesmen  and  so  forth.  Outside  of 
the  heads  of  our  different  departments,  we  haven't 
a  man  in  our  employ  whose  place  we  couldn't  fill 

279 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ten  times  over  inside  of  twenty-four  hours.  Good, 
honest,  hard  working  fellows,  all  of  them,  men 
whom  I  respect  and  intend  to  keep;  but  the  great 
majority  of  them  simply  machines,  doing  their 
work  correctly,  but  mechanically.  The  moment 
a  doubt  comes  into  their  minds  as  to  how  a  thing 
should  be  done  they  have  nothing  to  fall  back  on. 
"Take  the  young  man  who  writes  my  letters, 
for  instance.  Good  illustration.  Nice  boy,  grad 
uate  of  a  high  school  and  all  that — think  a  good 
deal  of  him — used  to  know  his  father — nice  man. 
Well,  I  was  dictating  a  letter  to  him  this  morning, 
and  I  used  this  expression:  'Everything  looks  fa 
vorable  now,  but,  of  course,  there  is  always  a 
chance  of  a  slip-up.'  Well,  he  brought  the  letter 
to  me,  I  read  it  over — always  read  every  letter; 
can't  afford  to  have  him  make  a  mistake  that 
might  cost  us  thousands  of  dollars,  you  know — 
and  he  had  written  it :  'Everything  looks  favorable 
now,  but,  of  course,  there  is  always  a  chance  of  a 
slipper.'  I  called  him  in  and  said,  'William,  what 
was  your  idea  when  you  wrote  that  word  'slip 
per'?'  I  knew  by  the  look  on  his  face  when  I 
asked  him  the  question  that  he  didn't  have  any 
idea  about  it  when  he  wrote  it,  and  was  even  hunt- 

280 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ing  then  for  one.  He  replied  he  didn't  know,  ex 
cept  that  was  the  way  his  notes  read.  See?  Just 
a  machine.  Just  as  much  of  one  as  the  typewriter 
he  pounds  with  his  fingers. 

"The  height  of  ambition  of  most  of  our  em 
ployes  is  to  get  a  situation,  keep  it,  and  draw  their 
pay  regularly  each  Saturday  night.  Machines  ap 
ply  for  situations  every  day,  but  brains  we  are 
obliged  to  hunt  for  with  a  search  warrant.  Now, 
you  have  got  brains  and  a  healthy  ambition.  You 
showed  that  by  coming  to  Boston  from  Maine 
and  striking  out  for  yourself.  You  see,  I  have 
been  getting  information  about  you  while  you 
have  been  away.  Now  to  get  down  to  business 
again.  "We  want  a  young  man,  in  fact,  we  want 
you,  to  take  charge  of  the  affairs  of  our  branch 
offices.  Keep  in  touch  with  them  all,  investigate 
any  and  all  matters  which  don't  look  right.  Keep 
our  managers  up  to  the  mark,  have  all  their  re 
ports  come  to  you,  and  keep  me  from  being  both 
ered  by  them  until  they  are  all  settled,  and  sim 
ply  become  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  corpora 
tion.  Headquarters  here  in  Boston,  but  liable  to 
go  anywhere  in  the  whole  country  to  look  matters 
over.  Salary,  two  thousand  dollars  a  year  and 

281 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

expenses.  Think  it  over  carefully,  and  let  me 
know  your  decision  in  the  morning." 

That  night  Edward  decided  to  accept  the  posi 
tion,  and,  consequently,  wrote  to  his  parents  and 
Stillman  Gott  of  his  change  of  business  and  for 
tune. 

The  replies  of  his  parents  were  the  natural  let 
ters  of  a  loving  father  and  mother,  the  mother's 
saying  that  she  had  always  had  faith  that  her  boy 
would  succeed,  and  the  father's,  a  manly  admis 
sion  that  he  had  been  wrong  and  his  son  right  in 
his  choice  of  a  means  of  "earning  his  living." 
But  Still's  letter,  Edward  read  again  and  again. 
It  was  almost  as  though  his  good  friend  was 
speaking  to  him  and  encouraging  him  to  even  bet 
ter  endeavors. 

"Dear  Ed,"  Still  wrote,  "I  wasn't  looking  for 
a  letter  from  you  specially,  because  you  know 
there  isn't  no  set  day  for  you  to  write,  but  I 
couldn't  have  got  nothing  that  would  have  pleased 
me  more.  I  read  her  through  once,  and  then  I 
got  my  rifle  and  went  up  into  the  back  lot  and 
fired  her  four  or  five  times  jest  as  a  sort  of  salute. 
Tom  Eaton  come  down  through  the  pasture  just 
as  I  was  cleaning  up,  and  says  he,  'What  on  earth's 

282 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

the  matter,  Still?  I  heard  you  a  firing  and 
thinks  I,  Still  has  struck  more  game  at  one  time 
than  I  knew  they  was  on  the  whole  Neck,  or  else 
he's  made  a  mistake  about  what  day  the  Fourth 
of  July  comes  on.'  'No,'  says  I,  'It  ain't  no  game 
I'm  after,  it's  a  little  celebration  of  my  own.' 
'Must  be  going  to  be  married,'  says  he  with  a  grin. 
Says  I,  'Tom,  when  I  get  married  it'll  be  about 
the  time  roseberries  grow  on  spruce  bushes,  and 
you  can  ketch  codfish  all  split  and  salted.  What 
I  am  celebrating  is  Ed  Locke  has  got  hired  by  one 
of  the  biggest  concerns  in  the  whole  United 
States,  and  is  getting  so  much  pay  that  inside  of 
two  years  he  won't  know  what  to  do  with  his 
money  unless  he  puts  it  in  barrels  the  way  they 
do  mackerel,  with  plenty  of  salt,  and  let  it  make 
its  own  brine.  I  reckon  he  draws  about  six  dol 
lars  a  day.'  Tom  haw-hawed,  and  says  he,  'Tell 
another  one,  Still,  before  that  one  gits  cold.  You 
mean  six  dollars  a  week.'  'No,  I  don't,'  says  I,  'I 
mean  six  dollars  a  day,  and  you  needn't  leave  out 
Sundays  or  hollerdays  except  once  in  a  while.' 

"Now,  Ed,  I'm  just  as  pleased  as  I  would  be 
if  I  got  it  myself,  and  that's  saying  a  good  deal. 
Keep  everything  taut  and  every  sail  drawing,  and 

283 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

'twon't  be  long  before  you  will  be  earning  twice 
what  you  are  now.  Then  after  a  few  years  you 
can  set  back  and  laugh  at  the  best  of  them.  Don't 
burn  all  your  powder  the  first  year.  Let  them 
have  it  kind  of  slow,  but  keep  firing.  Blow  your 
own  horn,  but  don't  try  to  be  the  whole  band. 
You  keep  right  at  it,  and  do  all  they  tell  you  to 
and  a  little  more  besides. 

"Nothing  new  down  here  except  the  regular 
crop  of  children  and  a  few  deaths,  and  I  guess 
you  don't  know  either  kind  well  enough  for  me 
to  spend  time  setting  out  the  names.  Nobody 
has  been  sent  to  jail  since  I  was,  and  nobody  likely 
to  as  far  as  I  know.  The  country  looks  pretty 
well,  and  I  guess  we  are  going  to  have  a  good  year. 
Probably  my  being  elected  selectman  has  had 
something  to  do  with  it,  though  I  haven't  heard 
anyone  say  so.  Keep  your  hand  on  the  tiller  and 
your  eyes  on  the  sails.  Fair  wind  and  fair  tide 
for  you  now.  Your  friend, 

"Stillman  Gott." 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY-TWO 

For  months  Edward  was  busily  engaged  arrang 
ing  matters  in  his  new  business,  visiting  the  dif 
ferent  branch  offices  of  the  corporation,  institut 
ing  a  system  of  checks  upon  the  different  man 
agers,  and  placing  safeguards  around  the  financial 
interests  of  the  company.  It  had  taken  a  deal  of 
time  and  thought  to  arrange  matters  to  his  com 
plete  satisfaction,  but  finally  he  laid  his  plan  be 
fore  the  president  and  was  extremely  gratified  to 
receive  the  magnate's  hearty  commendation. 

"Good,  excellent,"  exclaimed  the  president,  as 
he  carefully  read  the  sheets  of  typewritten  matter 
which  Edward  had  laid  before  him.  "I  do  not 
see,  Mr.  Locke,  where  that  can  be  improved.  You 
have  got  the  correct  idea.  Endeavor  as  far  as  pos 
sible  to  put  beyond  an  employee's  power  the 
chance  to  steal,  and  then  if  he  defeats  you  in  that 

285 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

respect,  arrange  your  financial  affairs  in  such  a 
manner  that  detection  will  immediately  follow  the 
first  stealing.  I  do  not  know  how  we  can  avoid 
unintentionally  tempting  our  fellow  men  when 
we  are  obliged  to  entrust  such  large  sums  of 
money  to  our  managers,  but  I  do  believe  that 
when  a  man  or  a  corporation  conducts  business  in 
such  a  loose  manner  that  an  employee  knows  that 
money  will  not  be  missed  for  months  and  perhaps 
years,  a  great  temptation  is  placed  before  the 
man,  and  if  he  yields,  the  employer  is  more  to  be 
blamed  than  the  employee.  With  the  system  as 
suggested  by  you,  our  managers  will  realize  that 
it  is  well  nigh  impossible  for  them  to  embezzle 
our  money  and,  knowing  it,  will  be  honest.  It 
is  our  duty  to  our  employees  to  make  them  hon 
est  men  rather  than  thieves. 

"Go  right  ahead  and  have  our  affairs  conducted 
on  the  plan  you  have  outlined  in  all  our  offices. 
It  is  possible  that  improvements  will  suggest 
themselves  to  you  as  you  proceed,  and  if  so,  incor 
porate  them.  I  leave  the  whole  affair  in  your 
hands/' 

The  plan  as  suggested  by  Edward  naturally  met 
with  some  opposition  from  the  different  man- 

286 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

agers,  particularly  from  those  who  had  been  long 
est  in  office,  but  the  only  reply  from  Edward  was, 
"These  are  the  orders  of  the  president  and  direc 
tors,  and  as  you  are  an  honest  man  you  cannot 
object  to  regular  inspection  of  your  books  and 
countersignature  of  your  checks.  In  addition  to 
this  fact,  it  is  also  true  that  the  better  report  made 
in  regard  to  the  condition  of  your  office,  the  bet 
ter  your  chance  of  promotion,"  and  thus  one  by 
one  he  made  them  see  that  the  new  departure  of 
the  company  was  not  only  a  correct  one,  but  one 
made  for  the  benefit  of  the  managers  them 
selves. 

The  change  had  necessitated  a  good  deal  of 
travelling  throughout  the  whole  country  and  much 
hard  work,  but  finally  all  the  offices  were  placed 
under  the  new  style  of  book-keeping,  and  Edward 
could  rest  for  a  while  until  the  time  came  for  the 
beginning  of  his  regular  inspection  of  each  office. 
There  would  be  no  special  time  for  his  ap 
pearance  at  each  office.  As  far  as  each  man 
ager  knew,  Edward  was  likely  to  present  him 
self  at  any  moment,  and  yet  his  plan  was 
to  visit  each  office  as  often  as  once  in  three 
months,  and  this  meant  at  least  half  of  the 

287 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

year  away  from  the  main  office  of  the  company. 

One  morning  as  he  came  into  the  office  one  of 
the  clerks  said  to  him,  "Here  is  a  telegram  for 
you,  Mr.  Locke.  It  came  about  ten  minutes  ago, 
and  the  messenger  boy  said  it  was  urgent." 

Edward  took  the  telegram,  tore  open  the  en 
velope  and  opening  the  paper  enclosed,  read,  "Ste 
phen  Day  died  last  night.  Funeral  Wednesday. 
Stillman  Gott." 

Without  waiting  a  moment,  he  rushed  into  the 
president's  office  and  said,  "Excuse  me  for  inter 
rupting  you  so  hurriedly,  but  I  have  just  received 
a  telegram  informing  me  of  the  death  of  an  old 
friend  of  my  family,  and  I  should  like  to  be  away 
for  a  week.  I  can  start  tonight  at  seven  o'clock 
and  be  back  in  the  office  next  Friday  morning  if 
necessary.  I  can  assure  you,  sir,  that  my  absence 
for  that  length  of  time  will  not  interfere  with 
my  plans  or  the  interests  of  the  company." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Locke,"  replied  the  president; 
"sorry  that  such  a  thing  has  happened.  If  you 
find  for  any  reason  that  you  must  prolong  your 
absence,  wire  us  and  it  will  be  satisfactory." 

A  telegram  was  sent  to  Still,  asking  him  to  be 
at  the  steamboat  wharf  the  next  morning,  and  Ed- 

288 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ward  left  the  office  to  make  preparations  for  his 
journey. 

Seven  o'clock  that  evening  saw  him  on  the  boat 
for  Portland,  and  when  the  sun  rose  the  next 
morning  and  Edward  went  on  deck,  the  steamer 
was  fast  approaching  Hardwick.  As  soon  as  the 
steamer  was  made  fast  to  the  wharf  Edward 
leaped  ashore  and  grasped  the  hand  of  Still,  who 
stood  at  the  end  of  the  gang  plank. 

"Glad  ter  see  yer,  Ed/'  his  old  friend  remarked, 
"but  sorry  yer  hed  yer  come  on  sech  an  errand. 
Gimme  yer  bag  an'  I'll  stow  it  aft  in  ther  buggy, 
an'  you  jump  in  an'  we'll  git  under  way." 

The  two  men  got  into  the  buggy,  and  the  horse 
started  up  the  hill  from  the  wharf. 

"S'pose  yer  wuz  kind  uv  startled  at  gittin'  er 
telergraph,  Ed,  but  I  knew  yer'd  want  ter  come, 
seein'  ez  ther  fam'lies  were  sech  old  friends,  an'  so 
I  sent  her.  No  time  fer  er  letter,  yer  know." 

"Wasn't  it  very  sudden,  Still?"  asked  Edward. 

"Yes,  it  wuz.  I  wuz  over  ter  ther  house  soon 
ez  I  heard  uv  it,  an'  Sarah  told  me  that  Stephen 
an'  her  wuz  settin  in  ther  front  room,  an'  she 
went  out  fer  somethin'  er  ruther,  an'  when  she 
got  back  he  wuz  jest  er  breathin'  his  last.  Hedn't 

289 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

bed  er  sick  minute  in  years.  Heart  disease,  I 
guess.  Nobuddy  knowed  what  else  ter  call  it. 

"Ther  Lord  called  him  sudden,  an'  Stephen 
answered  jest  ez  prompt.  Pretty  tough  on  ther 
fam'ly,  but  er  good  way  fer  Stephen  ter  go,  'cause 
he  didn't  suffer.  He  wuz  jest  ez  ready  ez  he  wud 
hev  been  ef  he'd  hed  er  year's  warnin'.  Good 
man,  an'  no  better  in  ther  town.  He  wuzn't  much 
uv  er  talker,  but  in  his  quiet  way  he  sed  er  good 
deal,  an'  none  uv  it  never  harmed  nobuddy." 

"How  is  Mrs.  Day  and — the  rest  of  the  fam 
ily?"  inquired  Edward. 

"Bearin'  up  fairly  well,  considerin'  how  quick 
it  come,"  answered  Still.  "But,  Lord,  her  sorrer 
hezn't  begun,  an'  it  won't  till  after  ther  funeral. 
When's  he  gone  out  uv  ther  house  an'  she  comes 
back  inter  it,  that's  when  she'll  miss  him.  They've 
been  married  er  good  many  years,  an'  each  day 
ez  she  goes  'round  ther  house,  each  time  she  sets 
down  ter  ther  table,  she'll  miss  him,  an'  she'll 
know  he's  gone  fer  ever.  I'm  mighty  sorry  fer 
Sarah.  She  hez  her  outs  like  ther  rest  uv  us,  but 
she's  been  er  good  wife  ter  him,  an'  he  wuz  er 
good  husband  ter  her,  an'  she'll  miss  him.  An' 
while  ther  Good  Book  sez  there's  no  givin'  an'  tak- 

290 


STILLMAN    GOTT 

in'  in  marriage  in  heaven,  yet  I've  no  doubt  he'll 
miss  her,  too.  Well,  it's  got  ter  come  ter  all  uv 
us,  fust  an'  last.  I  s'pose  he's  better  off,  'though 
when  }rer  come  ter  think  uv  it,  Stephen  wuz  puf- 
fectly  happy  here,  an'  Bartlett's  er  pretty  good 
place  ter  be  in." 

The  two  men  talked  together  about  other  mat 
ters  for  a  long  time,  and  then  Edward  asked,  "Is, 
er,  Mr.  Davenport  here?" 

"Hevn't  seen  him,  an'  seein'  he  didn't  come  on 
ther  boat  when  you  did,  I  cal'late  he  ain't  comin'. 
I  took  over  ther  telergraphs  fer  Sarah  an'  Elinor, 
an'  there  wan't  none  fer  him.  Kinder  s'prised 
me,  ter  tell  yer  ther  truth,  but  mebbe  they  hed 
sent  him  word  by  some  one  else,  though  seems  ter 
me  I  should  hev  heard  uv  it  if  they  hed." 

"Did  they  ask  you  to  telegraph  to  me?"  in 
quired  Edward. 

"No,  they  didn't,"  answered  Still,  "though  that 
ain't  sayin'  they  wouldn't  ef  they'd  thought  uv  it. 
They  on'y  give  me  er  list  uv  relations  ter  send 
ter,  an'  I  sent  yours  uv  my  own  free  will  an'  ac 
cord,  ez  we  sometimes  say." 

The  five  miles  between  the  wharf  and  the  home 
of  Edward  had  now  dwindled  down  to  a  short  dis- 

291 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

tance,  and  in  a  few  more  moments  Still  drove  up 
to  the  door  of  Josiah  Locke's  house. 

As  soon  as  Edward  had  greeted  his  parents,  he 
walked  over  to  the  Day  farm.  He  had  known  Ste 
phen  and  Sarah  Day  since  his  birth,  and  he  felt 
the  loss  of  the  honest  old  farmer  as  he  would  have 
felt  the  loss  of  one  of  his  blood  relations. 
And  then  again  Mrs.  Day  had  always  been  pleas 
ant  and  kind  to  him  when  as  a  boy  he  ran  in  and 
out  of  their  house,  and  he  deeply  sympathized 
with  her.  He  was  not  going  to  their  home  be 
cause  it  was  the  polite  and  proper  thing  to  do, 
but  because  he  sorrowed  with  the  widow  and  or 
phan. 

He  walked  in  through  the  door  and  into  the 
front  room,  and  found  Mrs.  Day  and  her  older 
daughters  and  sons.  The  children  greeted  him 
and  withdrew.  Mrs.  Day  shook  his  hand  and 
said,  "Ed.,  it  was  reel  kind  uv  yer  ter  come  clear 
down  here  on  our  account." 

"Mrs.  Day,"  replied  Edward,  "I  came  because 
I  wished  to  pay  my  tribute  of  respect  to  him  who 
has  gone.  He  was  as  near  and  dear  to  me  as  any 
of  my  own  family,  and  I  mourn  with  you  and 
your  family." 

292 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"I  know  you  do,  Ed.  You  allers  wuz  er  good 
boy.  He  wuz  reel  pleased  when  yer  father  told 
him  how  well  you  wuz  doin',  an7  sed  he'd  no  doubt 
you'd  be  well  off  some  day.  I  wish  he  could  be 
back  here  jest  for  er  year.  Seems  ter  me  I'd  be 
different.  We  never  hed  no  fallin's  out,  but  I'd 
let  him  run  things  more  an'  run  'em  less  myself. 
He  never  sed  nothin'  erbout  it,  but  ez  I  look  back 
I  can  see  now  that  I  sh'd  hev  been  jest  ez  happy 
ef  I  hed  my  own  way  less,  an'  p'raps  he'd  been 
happier,"  and  the  lonely  widow  burst  into  tears 
and  left  the  room. 

Suddenly  the  door  opened  and  Elinor  entered. 
As  Edward  looked  up  and  saw  her,  he  walked 
toward  her  and  the  next  moment  they  were 
clasped  in  each  other's  arms,  she  leaning  on  his 
shoulder  and  weeping  as  though  her  heart  would 
break,  and  he,  speaking  words  of  sympathy  and 
sorrow  rather  than  love,  for  Edward  believed  that 
his  love  for  her  was  completely  stifled. 

In  a  short  time  Elinor  became  quieter,  and  the 
two  young  people  sat  down  together  on  the  same 
old  sofa  where  they  had  sat  the  last  time  he  had 
seen  her. 

"Elinor,"  he  said,  after  a  few  moments  of  si- 

293 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

lence,  "I  expected  to  find  Mr.  Davenport  here. 
Is  he  unable  to  come?"' 

"I  didn't  notify  him  of  father's  death/'  an 
swered  Elinor. 

"Didn't  notify  him !  Why  not,  Elinor?  Surely 
he  would  want  to  be  here.  You  could  not  possibly 
need  him  at  any  other  time  more  than  you  do 
now." 

"I  need  the  sympathy  of  all  my  friends,  Ed 
ward,  at  a  time  like  this,  but  I  did  not  think  it 
was  necessary  to  send  for  Mr.  Davenport,  nor  do 
I  imagine  it  would  have  been  pleasant  for  him 
to  have  come." 

Edward  made  no  reply  at  first,  but  Elinor's  an 
swer  seemed  very  peculiar.  'Mr.  Davenport'  and 
not  'Harry/  and  she  had  said  it  'would  not  be 
pleasant  for  him  to  come.'  What  could  she  mean  ? 
He  paused  for  a  moment  and  then  said,  "Elinor, 
I  sincerely  hope  that  nothing  has  happend  be 
tween  you  and  Mr.  Davenport  that  has  caused  you 
any  additional  trouble." 

"Edward,"  said  Elinor,  as  she  turned  towards 
him,  "it  is  a  matter  I  do  not  care  to  talk  about 
with  many  people,  but  I  have  always  told  you 
everything,  and  therefore  I  will  answer  you.  The 

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STILLMAN     GOTT 

engagement  between  Mr.  Davenport  and  myself 
has  been  broken,  and  broken  by  me.  I  realized 
that  I  could  not  be  happy  as  his  wife,  and  I  doubt 
if  I  should  have  made  him  happy.  I  am  only 
sorry  that  I  ever  persuaded  myself  into  believing 
that  I  ought  to  accept  him,  and  only  fear  that  I 
have  caused  him  some  unpleasant  moments  which 
I  might  have  saved  him  had  I  only  been  more 
careful." 

Edward  made  no  reply;  it  was  not  the  proper 
time  to  do  so.  But  his  heart  gave  a  leap  and  his 
love  for  Elinor,  which  he  had  thought  was  dead, 
sprung  into  being  again  with  new  vigor  and  life. 

He  talked  with  her  about  her  father,  and  asked 
her  whether  she  and  her  mother  intended  staying 
on  the  farm,  and  she  replied  that  her  brothers  had 
advised  her  mother  to  sell  the  farm  and  live  in 
the  village  until  at  least  they  could  decide  where 
to  live  permanently. 

And  then  he  bade  her  good-bye  until  the  mor 
row,  and  returned  home  to  meet  some  of  the 
neighbors  who  had  learned  of  his  arrival  and 
wished  to  see  him  and  "talk  over  old  times." 

The  following  day,  every  man  and  woman  in 
the  town  of  Bartlett  who  could  possibly  leave  their 

295 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

homes  walked  or  drove  to  the  Baptist  church  to 
attend  the  funeral  and  pay  their  respects  to  the 
memory  of  Stephen  Day. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  services,  Edward 
walked  slowly  home  with  Elinor,  saying  all  the 
comforting  words  he  could,  and  yet  realizing  that 
her  sorrow  was  too  deep  for  present  relief.  As 
they  arrived  at  the  door  of  her  home,  he  said, 
"Elinor,  I  am  sorry,  but  I  must  bid  you  good-bye 
now,  for  I  have  hardly  spoken  a  word  to  mother 
and  father,  and  tomorrow  morning  I  must  start 
for  Boston  again.  I  do  not  know  when  I  shall  see 
3Tou  again,  as  I  leave  for  the  West  in  a  few  days 
on  a  long  business  trip.  In  fact,  I  doubt  if  I  shall 
be  able  to  get  down  to  Bartlett  oftener  than  once 
a  year  hereafter,  for  my  position  is  rather  an  im 
portant  one,  and  one  which  requires  my  personal 
attention  most  of  the  time.  But  I  want  you  to 
remember  that  I  have  been  your  friend  ever  since 
we  were  little  children,  and  always  shall  be  as 
long  as  I  am  permitted  to  stay  on  this  earth.  And 
if  at  any  time  I  can  be  of  the  slightest  service  to 
you  or  your  mother,  let  me  know.,  and  I  will  be 
only  too  glad  to  assist  you  in  any  way.  Good-bye." 

He  turned  to  walk  away  from  the  house,  his 

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STILLMAN     GOTT 

heart  and  voice  too  full  of  tears  to  speak  longer, 
when  a  trembling  voice  said,  "Won't  you  come  in 
a  minute?  I  know  mother  would  like  to  see  you 
again  if  only  to  bid  you  good-bye." 

"To  be  sure/'  said  Edward.  "I  had  almost  for 
gotten  her."  He  went  back  into  the  house  and 
bade  Mrs.  Day  farewell,  and  to  her  also  offered 
any  aid  in  his  power  at  any  time.  Again  he 
turned  to  go,  when  suddenly  Elinor,  bursting  into 
tears,  said,  "Oh,  Edward,  it  seems  as  though  when 
you  are  gone  I  shall  have  no  one  to  look  to  for 
comfort  and  aid.  I  felt  utterly  desolate  until 
you  came,  and  then  somehow  I  seemed  to  be  able 
to  endure  anything.  And  now  you  are  going  away 
again,  and  I  feel  as  though  the  very  ground  was 
slipping  from  under  my  feet.  What  shall  I  do 
when  you  are  gone  ?  My  brothers  and  sisters  have 
all  gone  to  their  homes,  and  mother  has  her  own 
sorrow  to  endure  without  being  obliged  to  com 
fort  me.  Can't  you  stay  a  few  more  days,  just 
a  few?" 

And  Edward  drew  the  unhappy  girl  towards 
him  and  said  in  a  voice  choking  with  pity  and 
love,  "My  dear  little  girl,  I  must  go  back  tomor 
row,  but,  darling,  if  you  wish,  how  happy  I  should 

297 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

be  to  come  again  as  soon  as  I  possibly  could  and 
take  you  away  with  me  and  never  leave  you  again. 
May  I  come,  darling?" 

"Oh,  Edward,  I  could  not  leave  mother  now," 
feebly  remonstrated  the  girl. 

"Why,  Elinor,  I  did  not  intend  to  have  you 
leave  her.  I  want  her  to  come,  too,  and  let  me  try 
to  make  the  rest  of  her  days  peaceful  and  happy. 
Will  you  come  and  be  my  dear  little  wife  ?  Can't 
you  love  me  just  a  little?  The  smallest  amount 
of  love  from  you  would  make  me  happier  than  all 
the  love  of  any  other  girl.  Can't  you,  darling?" 

She  laid  her  head  on  his  shoulder  and  said,  "I 
can't  love  you  a  little,  for  my  heart  is  filled  with 
love  for  you  and  you  alone.  Dear  heart,  I  know 
now  1  have  always  loved  you,  but  I  only  found 
it  out  when  I  saw  you  after  father  died.  I  knew 
when  I  came  to  you  and  asked  your  sympathy  and 
comfort  and  your  love,  that  without  them  I  would 
be  miserable,  and  with  them  happy  as  a  queen 
upon  her  throne. 

"Come  when  you  want  me,  and  I  will  go  with 
you  and  give  you  all  my  love  in  return  for  yours, 
your  love  that  has  never  wavered,  that  has  always 
been  for  me  and  for  me  alone.  Go  now,  darling. 

298 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

and  see  your  good  father  and  mother,  but  let  me 
see  you  again  before  you  go  away,  for  my  heart 
will  cry  out  for  you  from  now  until  it  ceases  beat- 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY-THREE 

The  Bangor  steamer  was  slowly  coining  up  the 
harbor  of  Boston  about  a  month  later,  and  among 
the  anxious  watchers  on  the  wharf  was  Edward 
Locke.  The  steamer  slowly  and  carefully  made 
her  way  up  the  wharf,  the  gang  plank  was  thrown 
out,  and  soon  Edward  saw  the  tall  figure  of  Still- 
man  Gott  making  its  way  through  the  crowd 
toward  him. 

Grasping  the  hand  of  his  friend,  he  said: 
"Still,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you." 

"Are,  eh  ?  Well,  I'm  kind  uv  tickled  myself. 
Can't  see  ez  yer've  changed  much,  'cept  I  see  yer 
growin'  er  mustash.  Dunno  but  what  I  sh'd  call 
it  more  uv  er  hair  lip  jest  at  present,  but  I  guess 
it'll  come  out  all  right  cf  yer  tend  ter  it  an'  kind 
uv  nurse  it  erlong.  How  are  yer,  anyway?"  was 
the  reply. 

"Never  felt  better  in  my  life,  Still.     Now  give 

300 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

me  the  check  for  your  trunk  and  we  will  get  up 
to  the  hotel  as  soon  as  we  can.  I  have  got  the 
whole  week  to  myself,  and  I  am  going  to  devote  it 
to  you  in  return  for  your  many  kindnesses  to  me." 

"Look  here,  Ed,  'bout  that  trunk.  Guess  I'll 
hev  ter  git  er  new  one  before  I  go  home.  Almost 
ershamed  ter  bring  it,  but  I  couldn't  stop  ter  buy 
er  new  one,  an'  I  made  up  my  mind  p'raps  I'd  git 
er  better  bargain  in  Boston  than  I  could  in  Bart- 
lett.  Yer  see,  it's  an  old  hair  trunk  that  belonged 
ter  father,  an'  it's  shed  most  uv  its  hair,  an'  don't 
look  reel  up  an'  comin'.  I  bought  er  bottle 
uv  hair  restorer  before  I  cum  erway  an'  rubbed 
it  on,  but  it  didn't  seem  ter  do  much  good 
ez  fer  cz  I  could  see,"  he  added,  with  a  smile. 

They  got  into  a  carriage  against  the  protests  of 
Still,  who  declared  he  "could  shoulder  his  trunk 
nnd  walk  jest  ez  well  ez  not,"  and  proceeded  to 
the  hotel. 

"Now  look  here,  Ed,  be  er  little  careful  erbout 
ther  prices  at  thcr  house  where  you  put  me  up. 
I've  got  fifty  dollars  I'm  willin'  ter  spend  if  neces 
sary  an'  er  return  ticket,  but  I  ain't  so  darned 
anxious  ter  spend  it  that  I'm  goin'  ter  sit  up 
nights  ter  do  it.  So  jest  cut  ther  garment  ercord- 

301 


in'  ter  ther  cloth.  I'm  here  ter  hev  er  good  time, 
ther  fust  one  in  my  life,  but  I  don't  want  ter  spend 
all  my  money  on  myself.  Thought  I'd  like  ter 
take  back  er  few  knick-knacks  ter  sum  uv  ther 
children  in  ther  neighborhood,  yer  know." 

"Still,"  replied  Edward,  "I  invited  you  to 
come  to  Boston,  and  you  are  here  as  my  guest.  I 
am  paying  all  the  bills  on  this  occasion.  When  I 
first  came  to  Boston  you  lent  me  some  money  and 
was  the  best  friend  I  had  in  the  world,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  it.  This  is  the  first  opportunity  I 
have  had  to  return  the  favor,  and  as  a  friend  to 
me  I  ask  you  not  to  prevent  me  from  having  the 
pleasure  of  doing  one-half  as  much  for  you.  You 
cannot  imagine  how  much  good  it  did  me  when 
I  first  came  to  this  city,  an  entire  stranger,  to 
know  that  there  was  a  helping  hand  ready  to  be 
outstretched  to  me  if  the  necessity  for  it  should 
ever  arise." 

"Well,  now,  Ed,  I  didn't  come  up  here  ter  live 
on  yer,  an'  I  gen'rally  pay  my  own  bills  an' 
d'ruther  do  it  now,  but  yer  can  do  whatever  yer 
want  ter  an'  I  won't  yip." 

By  this  time  they  had  arrived  at  the  hotel  se 
lected  by  Edward  as  the  abiding  place  for  his 

302 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

friend,  and  were  soon  seated  in  the  room  assigned 
by  the  clerk  to  Still,  with  the  old  trunk  safely  de 
posited  in  the  corner. 

Still  walked  around  the  room,  looked  out  of 
the  window,  felt  of  the  mattress  on  the  bed,  and, 
turning  to  Edward,  said: 

"I  s'pose  they  charge  fer  these  rooms  ercordin' 
ter  ther  size,  an'  ef  they  do,  this  one  ought  not  ter 
cost  much.  With  two  of  us  in  here,  I  shouldn't 
dare  ter  take  er  long  breath  without  bein'  afraid 
I'd  push  ther  walls  out.  I  see  they've  got  er  mat 
tress  on  ther  bed.  Ruther  hed  er  feather  bed  if 
I'd  hed  my  choice.  Yer  see  yer  sink  into  'em 
more  an'  they're  warmer.  Should  think  anybody 
sleepin'  in  that  bed  in  ther  winter  would  want  er 
heap  uv  comforters  ter  keep  warm.  Understand, 
I  am  not  complainin',  jest  comparin',  yer  know. 

"Yer  see  this  is  all  new  ter  me.  Been  in  Bos 
ton  before,  but  it  wuz  more'n  thirty  years  ago. 
Come  up  on  er  coaster  when  I  wuz  er  youngster. 
Wuz  here  er  week,  but  I  spent  most  uv  ther  time 
helpin'  load  an'  unload,  an'  what  spare  time  I 
had  I  stuck  pretty  close  ter  ther  wharf.  Uv 
course,  I  went  up  street  some,  but  not  so  fer  that 
I  lost  my  bearin's.  I  felt  er  good  deal  like  er  cat 

303 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

in  er  strange  garret,  an'  so  I  stuck  pretty  close  ter 
ther  stairs,  so  ter  speak.  Put  me  in  ther  woods 
an'  I'd  come  pooty  nigh  gettin'  out  by  watchin' 
ther  sun  an'  so  on,  but  Lord,  ther  sun  wouldn't 
be  uv  no  more  use  to  er  feller  in  Boston  than  er 
palm  leaf  fan  in  Tophet.  Row,  you  jest  lay  yer 
course  ter  suit  yerself,  an'  I'll  foller  erlong  some 
how,  an'  try  an'  not  look  too  green." 

After  breakfast  the  two  friends  left  the  hotel 
and  devoted  the  day  to  sight-seeing,  Still  being 
particularly  anxious  to  see  the  Bunker  Hill  monu 
ment  for  the  reason  that  some  person  from  Bart- 
lett  had  told  him  about  it  years  before. 

As  the  two  men  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  tall 
shaft,  Still  gazed  over  the  green  slopes  of  the 
grounds  surrounding  the  monument,  and  turning 
to  Edward,  said:  "Ed,  I  wouldn't  hev  missed 
seem'  this  fer  er  good  farm.  So  this  is  ther  place 
where  our  folks  showed  their  spunk.  It  kind  uv 
comes  home  ter  me,  'cause  my  mother's  grand 
father  hed  er  hand  in  ther  fight.  I've  heard 
mother  tell  uv  it  when  I  wuz  er  little  feller,  an' 
she  got  it  straight  frum  him.  He  come  frum 
down  Salem  way.  I  don't  know  nothin'  erbout 
him  but  that,  but  I'd  ruther  come  frum  that  kind 

304 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

uv  stock  than  be  er  relation  uv  er  king  er  queen 
er  any  other  one  card  uv  ther  whole  darned  pack. 
I've  got  some  grit  an'  all  that,  but  when  I  read 
what  them  old  fellers  went  through  an'  what  they 
suffered,  I  tell  yer  I'm  er  leetle  proud  uv  my  folks 
an'  my  country." 

The  next  day  being  Sunday,  Edward  had 
planned  going  to  church  with  Still,  and  had  de 
cided  to  take  him  to  an  Episcopal  church,  where 
the  "highness"  of  the  form  of  worship  was  only 
restrained  by  the  roof  of  the  building;  but  unex 
pectedly  at  almost  the  moment  of  departure,  Ed 
ward  found  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him 
to  go  on  account  of  a  business  matter. 

He  walked  to  the  hotel,  and  entering  Still's 
room,  said :  "Still,  I  am  awfully  sorry,  but  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  go  to  church  with  you  this  morn 
ing,  but  I  have  got  one  of  the  clerks  at  the  office 
to  go  with  you,  and  I  will  see  you  at  noon.  He 
is  a  good  fellow  and  you  will  like  him.  You  see 
a  man  has  come  on  from  the  West  and  will  only 
be  in  Boston  today  and  must  see  me.  I  don't  like 
to  do  business  on  Sunday,  but  sometimes  one  can't 
prevent  it." 

"Guess  that's  so,"  replied  Still.    "Kind  uv  like 

305 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

some  things  down  home.  I  don't  cal'late  ter  cut 
any  grass  Sundays,  but  ef  it  wuz  all  cocked  up 
ready  ter  git  in,  an'  'twuz  Sunday  an'  begun  ter 
look  like  er  heavy  shower  comin'  what  would  spile 
it,  I  sh'd  git  it  in  jest  ther  same.  Some  uv  ther 
folks  won't  do  it,  yer  know,  but  all  I  ever  done  uv 
it  never  hurt  me  none  an'  ther  stock  seemed  ter 
eat  it  jest  ez  well." 

The  two  men  met  again  at  noon,  and  after  din 
ner  went  to  Still's  room.  During  the  dinner  Still 
had  been  very  quiet  and  apparently  in  a  brown 
study,  and  when  they  had  arrived  in  his  room, 
Edward  inquired  as  to  the  reason  for  his  being 
so  quiet. 

"Well,"  said  Still,  "I  wuz  sort  uv  chewin'  over 
what  I  see  an'  heard  at  church  terday.  I  never 
see  er  church  like  it  before,  an'  I  wuz  kind  uv 
green.  Fust  thing  they  stood  up,  then  they  sot 
down,  then  they  stood  up  an'  then  sot  down  ergin. 
I  didn't  know  what  ter  do,  so  I  got  one  eye  on  an 
old  feller  in  frunt  uv  me  that  seemed  ter  know 
ther  ropes  an'  be  enjoyin'  uv  it,  an'  ev'ry  time  he 
did  anything  I  did  it,  an'  so  I  guess  they  decided 
ter  let  me  stay  till  it  wuz  over.  Candles  'stead 
uv  lamps,  an'  burnin'  in  the  day  time,  too,  an' 

306 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ther  minister  went  out  once  or  twice  ter  change 
his  clothes.  Up  ter  that  time,  I'd  seen  er  lot  that 
wuz  wuth  watchin',  but  I  hedn't  hed  much  relig 
ion  thrown  at  me.  Well,  finally  things  quieLed 
down  an'  I  noticed  ther  minister  go  up  inter  that 
old-fashioned  pulpit,  an',  thinks  I,  ef  he's  off  ther 
same  piece  uv  cloth  I  shan't  understand  one  thing 
he  says,  fer  ef  this  is  high  church,  it's  so  high  I 
can't  reach  it.  But  I  tell  yer,  right  now,  that 
sermon  uv  his  on  Saint  Paul  wuz  er  good  one,  an' 
I'm  glad  I  went. 

"Did  yer  ever  stop  ter  think,  Ed,  what  er  man 
Saint  Paul  wuz?  Uv  course,  ther  rest  uv  'em, 
Mark,  Luke,  Matthew  an'  John  an'  Peter,  an'  er 
lot  more  were  all  right.  Did  their  duty,  but  they 
didn't  give  up  much  when  they  became  disciples. 
Jest  stopped  fishin'  fer  er  livin'.  Pleasant  work, 
but  mighty  uncertain.  But  this  Paul,  he  wuz 
entirely  different.  He  wuz  er  worker  all  ther 
time.  Jest  think  his  life  over.  There  he  wuz  on 
ther  start,  red  hot  ergainst  ther  Christians, 
breathin'  out  threatenin's  an'  slaughter,  an',  not 
satisfied  with  that,  he  went  ter  ther  high  priest  an' 
got  cr  sort  uv  warrant  to  arrest  anybody  that  he 
run  acrost.  Saint  Paul  wuzn't  one  of  ther  fellers 

307 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

what  did  all  his  work  by  talkin',  yer  see. 

"Well,  he  started  out  on  er  cruise,  an'  while  he 
was  goin'  ter  Jerusalem  er  bright  light  shined 
eround  him  an'  knocked  him  over.  Some  people 
hev  ter  be  knocked  down  before  yer  can  argue 
with  'em,  an'  I  guess  Saint  Paul  wuz  one  uv  that 
kind.  Well,  ez  soon  ez  he  come  to,  he  didn't  be 
gin  whinin'  an'  beggin',  not  he.  He  jest  knew  he 
wuz  licked  at  his  own  game,  an'  he  jest  riz  up  an' 
says  he,  'Lord,  what  do  yer  want  me  ter  do  ?'  Blind 
ez  er  bat — couldn't  see  nothin'  fer  three  days  ner 
eat  er  thing,  but  ther  old  pluck  wuz  left,  an' 
soon  ez  he  realized  he  wuz  wrong,  then  he  wanted 
ter  be  doin'  somethin'.  Well,  he  went  ter  preach- 
in'  ther  new  faith,  an'  they  tried  ter  kill  him, 
but  he  got  erway.  Finally,  they  stoned  him  till 
they  thought  they'd  fetched  him  that  time,  an* 
they  left  him  fer  dead,  but  he  come  to  ergin  an' 
kept  up  his  preachin'.  Then  they  put  him  in  jail, 
thort  they'd  shut  his  mouth  that  way.  But  his 
luck  held  out,  an'  er  earthquake  come  an'  racked 
ther  jail  ter  pieces  so's  ther  doors  flew  open,  an* 
out  he  come.  An'  blessed  if  he  didn't  stop  on  his 
way  out  long  ernuff  ter  convert  ther  sheriff !  How's 
that  fer  tendin'  ter  bizness? 

308 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Went  ter  preachin'  again,  an'  when  he  wuzn't 
preachin'  he  wuz  er  workin'  at  his  trade,  makin' 
tents.  Never  heard  uv  er  feller  so  res'less.  Well, 
then  he  bearded  the  lion  right  in  his  den.  Went 
ter  Jerusalem  an'  preached  there,  an'  they  'rested 
him  ergin  an'  took  him  before  ther  governor. 
Ther  governor  was  er  sort  uv  cheap  politician,  an' 
he  took  him  one  side  an'  talked  things  over,  kind 
uv  lookin'  fer  er  bribe.  But  Paul  wuzn't  payin' 
er  red  cent,  but  'stead  uv  that  blamed  ef  he  didn't 
go  ter  preachin'  to  ther  governor !  How's  that  fer 
cool  ?  Then  they  shipped  him  ter  Eome,  ther  head 
centre  uv  ther  government,  an'  ther  ship  wuz 
wrecked.  Did  y'ever  see  such  luck  ?  Well,  ez  nigh 
ez  I  kin  remember,  he  kept  on  preachin'  while 
ther  ship  wuz  goin'  down,  an'  begun  ergin  soon 
ez  he  reached  ther  shore  an'  got  ther  water  out  uv 
his  eyes.  But  finally  they  had  ter  kill  him  ter 
stop  him,  but  they  didn't  do  that  till  he'd  hed 
time  ernuff  ter  write  er  lot  uv  religious  letters  an' 
convert  more  people  than  yer  could  shake  er  stick 
at. 

"An'  there's  ernother  funny  thing  erbout  Saint 
Paul.  On  ther  start  he  wuz  full  uv  fight  an'  ugli 
ness,  but  when  he  got  converted  it  took  all  ther 

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STILLMAN     GOTT 

meanness  out  uv  him  without  hurtin'  his  pluck 
one  mite.  No  matter  what  they  done  ter  him,  he 
jest  gritted  his  teeth,  spit  on  his  ban's  an'  took  er 
fresh  holt.  Why,  er  week  before  he  wuz  con 
verted,  ef  er  man  hed  jest  looked  at  him  kind  uv 
sideways,  Saint  Paul  ud  hed  him  down  an'  pound- 
in'  his  head  in  ther  dirt  before  you  could  hev 
turned  'round. 

"An'  yet  you  kin  read  all  he  sed  an'  all  he 
wrote,  an'  there  ain't  one  spiteful  word  in  it.  It 
don't  seem  ter  me  that  we  foller  ther  teachings 
uv  Saint  Paul  ernuff.  Seems  ter  me  that  we're 
too  apt  ter  jump  on  er  feller  ther  minit  he  makes 
er  mistake,  an'  when  he's  sort  uv  stumblin'  an' 
fallin',  'stead  uv  helpin'  him  up  folks  are  more'n 
likely  ter  give  him  er  kick  an'  send  him  further. 

"'Member  Ezry  Dodge,  don't  yer?  Lived  up 
ther  other  side  uv  ther  village  an'  died  erbout  ten 
years  ago?  Well,  erbout  thirty-five  years  ergo, 
before  you  wuz  born,  Ezry  wuz  er  leetle  mite  ther 
wust  man  in  some  respects  in  ther  town  uv  Bart- 
lett.  He  could  swear  harder  on  less  reason  an' 
drink  more  liquor  than  any  man  I  ever  see,  an' 
I've  seen  quite  er  number  in  ther  days  when  I 
used  ter  go  coastin'  an'  fishin'  on  ther  Banks. 

310 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

He  wuz  half  sozzled  most  uv  ther  time,  an'  ther 
more  he  got  in  ther  wuss  he'd  talk.  Good-hearted 
an'  smarter'n  er  steel  trap,  an'  captins  uv  vessels 
allers  took  him  ef  he  wanted  ter  ship,  'cause  yer 
see,  after  he'd  straightened  up  an'  got  ther  rum 
out  uv  him,  er  pleasanter  hand  you  couldn't  find 
in  ther  county. 

"I  went  one  trip  with  him  ter  ther  Banks,  an' 
I  shan't  fergit  it  ef  I  live  ter  be  er  hundred. 
Ther  fust  three  days  out  he  wuz  sort  uv  taperin' 
off,  an'  then  his  rum  give  out  an'  he  got  crazy 
so's  we  hed  ter  lash  him  in  his  berth.  I  sot  up 
with  him  one  night  er  givin'  him  some  medicine 
the  captin  hed,  an'  ef  Barnum  could  hev  hed  er 
few  uv  ther  critters  Ezry  claimed  he  see,  'twould 
hev  made  his  everlastin'  fortune. 

"Well,  finally  he  come  out  uv  it  an'  when  he  got 
so's  he  could  enjoy  his  vittles,  he  wuz  all  right 
ther  rest  uv  ther  trip.  We  got  home  after  er  few 
months,  an'  Ezry  went  round  an'  paid  all  his  bills 
fer  ther  keep  uv  his  wife  an'  children  while  he 
wuz  gone,  'cause  with  all  his  failin's  he  wuz  ez 
honest  ez  ther  day  is  long,  an'  he  hed  been  histin' 
more  or  less  liquor  aboard  fer  sev'ral  days,  when 
one  night  ez  he  wuz  goin'  down  ther  road  ter  ther 

311 


STILLMAN   GOTT 

village,  he  met  old  Elder  Perkins.  Ther  Elder 
stopped  him  an'  without  pretendin'  ter  notice 
how  Ezry  wuz  feelin'  sez,  'Ezry,  comin'  ter  ther 
prayer-meetin'  ternight?'  An'  Ezry  stopped  an' 
haw-hawed,  an'  sed  he  guessed  he  wuzn't  wanted 
there  any  more  than  he  wuz  thinkin'  uv  goin',  an' 
he  guessed  he  wuz  more  welcome  in  some  other 
parts  uv  ther  village.  But  ther  Elder  hung  on 
ter  him,  an'  finally  he  landed  him  high  an'  dry  in 
one  uv  ther  front  seats.  Ev'rybuddy  begun  ter 
nudge  their  neighbor  an'  prick  up  their  cars,  but 
ther  Elder  opened  ther  meetin'  with  er  prayer  an' 
er  hymn  an'  two  er  three  spoke  an'  then  ther 
Elder  started  in  an'  told  ther  parable  uv  ther 
prodigal  son,  an'  how  he  got  so  low  down  that  ther 
hogs  quit  his  comp'ny,  an'  that  even  then  when 
he  went  home  ergin,  sick  an'  hungry  an'  lookin' 
like  er  tramp,  his  father  hugged  him,  an'  took 
him  in,  an'  let  him  sleep  in  ther  spare  room,  an* 
give  him  er  party;  an'  then  he  went  on  ter  say 
that  no  matter  what  we'd  done  our  Heavenly 
Father  would  fergive  us  ef  we  wuz  only  sorry  an' 
wanted  ter  turn  over  er  new  leaf. 

"Well,  that  broke  Ezry  Dodge  down,  an'  he  sot 
there  an'  cried  like  er  child,  an'  before  ther  meet- 

312 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

in'  let  out  he  rose  fer  prayers.  Ter  make  er  long 
story  short,  he  wuz  converted  an'  jined  ther 
church.  But  ther  old  taste  an'  hankerin'  fer  licker 
wuz  in  him,  an'  there  wuzn't  er  minit  he  wuzn't 
rasslin'  with  it.  He  made  up  his  mind  at  last 
that  he'd  better  go  er  fishin'  ergin  where  he 
couldn't  git  it  even  ef  he  wuz  bound  ter  hev  it, 
an'  so  he  shipped  ergin. 

"Ez  luck  would  hev  it,  Pete  Jones  wuz  erboard, 
an'  he  hed  er  bottle  uv  whiskey  that  he  wuz  er 
suckin'  at,  an'  ther  sight  an'  smell  uv  it  wuz  too 
much  fer  Ezry,  an'  one  night  he  went  below  an' 
got  holt  uv  ther  remnants  what  Pete  hedn't 
drunk,  an'  when  some  uv  ther  rest  uv  ther  boys 
went  below,  there  wuz  Ezry,  drunker'n  er  fiddler, 
er  hangin'  on  ter  ther  floor  ter  hold  himself  down. 
Ther  whole  crew  frum  ther  Captin  down  ter  ther 
cook  felt  like  death  erbout  it,  ez  they  all  liked 
Ezry  an'  knew  how  he  wuz  tryin'  ter  be  decent, 
an'  ther  Captin  told  'em  ter  keep  their  mouths 
shet  erbout  it  when  they  got  home.  But  Dan 
Morse  who  wuz  erboard  wuz  one  uv  those  pious 
people  who  kin  talk  an'  pray  in  er  prayer-meetin' 
like  all  possessed,  but  er  man  that  yer  wouldn't 
trust  three  feet  in  er  hoss  trade,  an'  he  blarted 

313 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ther  whole  thing  all  'round  ther  village  jest  ez 
soon  ez  his  feet  hit  ther  wharf.  Ther  outcome  uv 
it  wuz  that  some  uv  ther  church,  what  hedn't 
neither  heart  ner  bowels  uv  compassion,  they  in 
sisted  that  ther  Elder  call  er  church  meetin'  ter 
church-maul  Ezry. 

"Well,  ther  night  come  for  ther  meetin',  an'  I 
got  Allan  Carter  an'  er  few  more  members  what 
hed  some  idee  uv  decency  ter  hitch  up  an'  go,  an' 
when  we  got  there  ther  vestry  wuz  so  full  uv  peo 
ple  that  they  stuck  out  uv  ther  winders.  Ther 
Elder  prayed  an'  ther  charges  wuz  read,  an'  Ezry 
got  up  an'  sed  it  wuz  all  true  what  they  sed  er- 
bout  him,  an'  he  guessed  it  wuz  no  use  for  him  ter 
try  ter  be  anything  but  er  misrerble  sinner,  an' 
sot  down.  Then  Deacon  Childs  spoke  his  piece, 
an'  he  didn't  leave  poor  Ezry  in  ther  shape  uv 
anything,  an'  two  or  three  old  maids  then  bobbed 
their  vinegar  faces  up  an'  told  what  er  horrible 
shame  it  wuz,  an'  talked  an'  talked  till  what  they 
sed  would  make  er  cat  run  her  harness.  Well, 
when  they'd  sed  all  they  could  think  uv  ter 
run  poor  Ezry  down,  Sophy  Dodge,  Ezry's 
wife,  stood  up  like  ther  brave  little  woman 
she  WTUZ.  She  didn't  weigh  over  er  hundred 

314 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

pounds  with  her  winter  clothes  on  an'  she  wuzn't 
knee  high  to  er  toadstool,,  but  she  hed  spunk  er- 
nuff  fer  er  comp'ny  uv  soljers,  an'  she  lit  on  'em. 
She  told  'em  how  Ezry  had  allers  been  good  ter 
her  an'  ther  children,  an'  how  many's  ther  night 
he'd  cried  an'  wrung  his  ban's  an'  sed  they'd  be 
better  off  ef  he  wuz  dead,  an'  how  he'd  tried  ter 
let  ther  stuff  alone,  an'  when  she  sot  down  she  hed 
ther  eyes  uv  er  lot  uv  'em  leakin'.  ISTobuddy  spoke 
fer  er  minit,  an'  thinks  I  ter  myself,  'Git  up  an' 
say  er  word  fer  yer  feller  man,'  an'  I  riz.  I'd  been 
er  gittin'  warmer  'round  ther  collar  all  ther  time 
them  hypercrits  hed  been  speakin',  an'  I  spoke 
right  out  plain.  I  sez,  'Brethren  an'  sisters,  we've 
come  here  ternight  ter  make  up  our  minds  what 
ter  do  with  Ezry  Dodge  because  he's  back  slid  er 
little,  an'  some  uv  ther  members  who  think  they 
air  without  sin  hev  not  only  thrown  ther  first 
stones,  but  they've  got  both  han's  full  now  er  wait- 
in'  fer  ernuther  chance.  But  I  want  yer  ter  stop 
an'  think  er  minit  before  yer  heave  ernuther.  I'm 
goin'  ter  talk  plain,  an'  ef  any  uv  yer  see  enythin' 
er  comin'  yer  way  that  is  likely  ter  hit,  yer  kin 
dodge  fer  all  uv  me. 

"  'What  right  hez   Deacon   Childs,   an'   Sister 

315 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Graves  an'  Sister  Pinkham  ter  talk  erbout  ther 
rum  habit?  Hev  they  bed  it?  Hev  they  ever 
knowed  what  it  wuz  ter  never  hev  er  minit  when 
they  didn't  want  er  drink?  No,  sir,  Almighty 
God  either  give  'em  no  desire  er  else  give  'em  er 
will  ter  stand  it  an'  fight  it  off.  They  don't  rcel- 
ize  that  when  er  man  is  soaked  frum  deck  ter  keel 
with  liquor  an'  tries  ter  leave  off,  that  it's  hell  fer 
him  fer  er  while,  an'  that  even  ther  smell  uv  it  is 
like  blood  to  er  tiger.  Ezry  Dodge  wuz  down  in 
ther  ditch  er  wallerin'  in  ther  mire,  an'  by  ther 
grace  uv  God  he  riz  an'  scraped  ther  muck  off'n 
himself  an'  started  up  ther  hill.  He'd  got  pretty 
well  up  when  he  struck  er  slipp'ry  spot  an'  he 
slid.  But,  brethren  an'  sisters,  he's  only  slid  part 
way  down,  he's  er  hangin'  on  with  fingers  an'  toes, 
an'  all  he  needs  ter  git  ter  ther  top  is  er  little  boost 
uv  kindness.  Git  behind  him  an'  push,  an'  don't 
git  in  frunt  uv  him  an'  kick  him  in  ther  face. 

"  'There  wuz  er  woman  once  in  ther  Bible  an' 
she  bed  been  actin'  like  sixty,  an'  ev'rybuddy  hed 
turned  their  back  upon  her  'cept  ther  sheriff,  an' 
they  brought  her  before  ther  Saviour.  Did  he 
sneer  at  her  an'  go  over  all  she'd  done  an'  tell 
her  she  wuzn't  fit  ter  live?  No,  he  hed  pity  on 

316 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

her,  an'  his  great  heart  went  out  in  sorrer  an'  pity 
ter  her,  an'  he  sed,  "Woman,  thy  sins  are  forgiven. 
Go  an'  sin  no  more."  An'  she  became  er  saint 
an'  is  in  heaven  terday.  Brethren  an'  sisters,  let's 
say  ter  Ezry  Dodge,  "Ezry,  we're  mighty  sorry  ter 
know  what  you've  done,  most  ez  sorry  ez  you  air 
yerself.  Here's  yer  feller  church  members,  here's 
yer  old  frien's,  here's  er  lot  more  uv  mis'rable  sin 
ners,  an'  all  we  say  ter  yer  is,  go  an'  sin  no  more, 
an'  God  give  yer  strength  ter  keep  sober  an'  God- 
fearin'. " 

"I'd  sed  more'n  I  intended  ter  when  I  stood  up, 
but  when  I  sot  down,  I'm  blessed  ef  ther  whole 
crowd  'cept  ther  few  what  hed  spoke  on  ther  other 
side,  didn't  bust  right  out  er  clappin',  an'  I 
guess  that's  ther  only  time  that  ever  happened  at 
er  church  meetin'.  An'  then  ther  old  Elder 
started  up  er  singin'  "Praise  God  from  whom  all 
blessin's  flow,"  an'  they  sung  it  till  I  thought  ther 
roof  would  fall  in,  an'  that  ended  that  church 
maulin'. 

"Ezry  he  kep'  on  goin'  ter  sea,  an'  he  never 
touched  licker  ergin,  an'  finally  he  got  ter  be  fust 
mate  uv  er  three-master.  Erbout  ten  years  ergo, 
he  wuz  on  er  cruise  ter  ther  West  Injies,  an'  ther 

817 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

vessel  run  inter  er  gale  an'  'twant  long  before  she 
went  down.  The  only  man  saved  uv  all  ther  crew 
wuz  er  feller  frum  Boston,  who  wuz  er  bigger 
drunkard  than  Ezry  ever  hed  dreamed  uv  bein', 
an'  he  told  ther  story  after  he  wuz  picked  up  by 
ernuther  vessel.  Them  two,  him  an'  Ezry,  got 
holt  uv  er  piece  uv  er  spar  erbout  big  ernuff  ter 
hold  up  one,  an'  after  er  minit  er  two  Ezry  looked 
at  him,  an'  sez  he,  'Bill,  I  guess  yer  need  ter  live 
wusser'n  I  do.  My  family's  all  pervided  fer,  an' 
I've  made  my  peace  with  God,  so  I'll  let  go,  an' 
you  can  hold  on  an'  see  ef  after  yer  get  home  you 
can't  be  er  better  man.'  An'  he  let  go,  an'  he's 
in  heaven  now,  ef  tryin'  ter  live  er  decent  life 
counts  fer  anything. 

"I  tell  yer,  Ed,  er  man  what  kin  read  about 
Saint  Paul  an'  then  git  discouraged,  hez  got 
mighty  little  sand  in  his  gizzard.  I  ain't  no  Saint 
Paul,  an'  never  pretended  I  wuz,  but  I  tell  yer 
that  story  when  I  fust  heard  it  put  lots  uv  pluck 
in  me,  an'  made  me  see  that  no  matter  how  much 
the  wind  majr  be  dead  against  yer,  yet  ef  yer  keep 
tackin'  yer'll  fetch  after  erwhile.  There,  that's 
more'n  I've  talked  before  in  er  year,  but  when  I 
git  ergoin'  erbout  Saint  Paul  there's  no  stoppin' 

318 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

me.  Heavens  an'  earth!  Here  'tis  ha*  past  nine 
o'clock,  an'  I  hed  ort  ter  hev  been  in  bed  over'n 
hour  ago.  Good  night,  Ed,  see  yer  in  ther  morn- 
in'." 

And  so  the  few  days  of  vacation,  the  one  play 
day  in  his  life  since  he  had  left  the  district  school, 
quickly  passed  away,  and  the  day  of  Still's  depar 
ture  arrived. 

The  two  friends  stood  on  the  wharf  talking 
together,  when  suddenly  Still  turning  to  Edward 
asked : 

"Ed,  don't  yer  ever  think  uv  gittin'  married 
now  you've  got  such  er  good  start  in  bizness?" 

"Still,"  replied  Edward,  "I  am  able  to  support 
a  wife  and  myself  at  the  present  time,  and  prob 
ably  shall  be  able  to  in  the  future  unless  the  un 
expected  happens.  So  I  will  answer  your  ques 
tion  by  saying  that  not  only  have  I  thought  of  it, 
but  Elinor  Day  has  decided  to  risk  her  future 
happiness  by  marrying  me.  What  is  more,  we 
shall  be  married  this  fall  and  live  either  in  Boston 
or  Chicago,  as  my  business  interests  may  decide. 
I  wrote  to  father  and  mother,  telling  them  of  it 
last  week,  and  probably  the  letter  was  received  by 
them  about  the  time  you  left  Bartlett.  So  you 

319 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

are  the  first  person  to  learn  the  news  outside  of 
the  families  involved." 

"Ed,"  said  Still,  "I'm  mighty  glad  uv  it.  It's 
ther  only  way  ter  live,  though  things  come  so's  I 
hed  ter  live  ernuther  way.  But  it  wuzn't  my  own 
choosin'.  Ez  luck  would  hev  it,  ther  one  I  wanted 
I  couldn't  git,  an'  ther  ones  I  could  hev  got  I 
didn't  want,  'cause  I  couldn't  figger  out  what  I'd 
done  so  bad  that  I  ort  ter  be  punished  that  way. 
There  ain't  no  half  way  ter  married  life.  It's  one 
uv  two  things,  heaven  er  hell,  an'  yer  hev  ther 
makin'  uv  it  yourself  by  ther  one  yer  pick  out  fer 
yer  mate.  Though  when  yer  come  ter  think  uv 
it,  'stead  uv  bein'  mate  she's  apt  ter  be  captain. 
I  know  yer  hevn't  jumped  inter  it  head  over  heels 
without  takin  er  kind  uv  er  look  eround  ter  see 
where  yer  goin'  ter  fetch  up. 

"There's  lots  uv  fellers  pick  out  er  girl  cause 
she's  good  lookin'.  Well,  there's  no  harm  t'  ther 
girl,  but  good  looks  won't  sew  buttons  on  yer  shirt 
ner  cook  yer  breakfast.  An'  then  ergin  they'll 
pick  'em  out  'cause  they  play  er  pianer  er  sing 
reel  sweet^  er  some  other  fool  notion.  An'  that's 
all  well  ernuff  in  its  place.  But  I  tell  yer,  when 
er  man  comes  home  at  night  after  er  hard  day's 

320 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

work,  sick  an'  disgusted  at  ther  way  things  hev 
gone  all  day,  an'  sour  an'  ugly,  he  don't  need  no 
woman  who  can't  do  nothin'  but  play  ther  'Maid 
en's  Prayer'  er  sing  Tlow  Gently,  Sweet  Afton.' 
He  needs  er  sweet  little  woman  what  can  come 
over  ter  him  jest  ez  soon  ez  he's  got  his  hat  an' 
coat  off  an'  sot  down,  an'  git  right  inter  his  lap, 
an'  put'n  arm  round  his  neck  an'  say,  'John, 
what's  er  troublin'  yer?  Now  tell  me  all  erbout 
it  and  let  me  see  ef  I  can't  find  some  way  out  uv 
it  fer  yer.'  That's  ther  talk  that  sweetens  er  fel 
ler  up  an'  softens  him  an'  keeps  him  half-decent. 
Makes  him  feel  that  life's  wuth  livin'  an'  heaven's 
only  er  little  better'n  this  earth.  An'  any  other 
kind  uv  er  woman  hitched  t'  ther  ordinary  man 
will  only  make  him  wuss,  an'  spile  her  own  life, 
too.  An'  when  ther  good  Lord,  thinkin'  ther  pair 
uv  'em  hev  been  punished  ernuff  fer  their  foolish 
ness,  takes  one  uv  'em  away,  ther  one  that's  left 
draws  er  big  breath  of  relief  when  they  think  no 
one's  er  lookin',  an'  yer  couldn't  drag  'em  inter 
married  life  ergin  with  two  yoke  uv  oxen.  Now, 
yer've  been  brought  up  sensibly,  an'  yer  ort  ter 
know  what  ter  fight  shy  uv,  so  I  guess  I'm  wast 
ing  my  breath  talkin'.  But  remember  that 

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STILLMAN     GOTT 

love  is  er  queer  thing,  and  er  woman's  love  is 
ez  different  from  er  man's  ez  chalk  is  from 
cheese. 

"Er  man  hez  an  idee  that  when  he's  mar 
ried  t'  er  woman  that  he  can  quit  makin'  love. 
Loves  her  jest  ez  much,  yer  know ;  but  what's  ther 
use  uv  wastin'  time  er  showing  uv  it  after  that? 
He  feels  like  er  feller  chasin'  er  runaway  hoss. 
He'll  run  tight  ez  he  can  go  it  till  he  ketches  him, 
an'  then  he  climbs  inter  ther  wagon  an'  sets  down, 
an'  thinks  nobody  but  er  natchrul  born  fool  would 
run  ernuther  step.  Likes  ther  hoss  jest  ez  well, 
an'  wouldn't  part  with  him,  but  what  would  be 
ther  sense  uv  keepin'  on  runnin'  after  he's  ketched 
him? 

"I'll  bet  that  ther  bulk  uv  men  don't  kiss  their 
wives  once  after  they've  married,  when  they'd  al 
most  eat  'em  up  when  they  wuz  chasin'  'em  before 
ther  weddin'.  Good  perviders,  pleasant,  gen'rous 
an'  all  right,  but  they've  stopped  what  they  think 
is  nonsense.  Now,  er  woman's  jest  ther  other 
way.  They  jest  live  on  love,  an'  ther  more  they 
git  uv  it  ther  happier  theyare.  An'providin' they 
don't  find  they've  made  er  mistake  in  ther  man 
they've  married,  they'd  be  willin'  ter  live  in  er 

322 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

sheep  pen,  if  that  wuz  ther  best  their  husband 
could  give  'em,  if  he'd  only  make  love  to  'em  once 
in  er  while ;  an'  when  they  don't  git  it,  they  grow 
cross  an'  sour  an'  old  before  their  time.  So  don't 
fergit  after  yer  married  ter  make  love  ter  yer  wife 
jest  ther  same  ez  yer  doin'  now  ev'ry  chance  yer 
git.  Women  are  queer,  an'  yer  might  study  one 
uv  'em  er  lifetime  an'  on  yer  dyin'  bed  yer'll  still 
be  er  guessin',  but  they're  better'n  we  are,  an'  yer 
couldn't  keep  house  without  'em.  Good-by,  Ed, 
an'  God  bless  yer." 

And  then  the  bell  of  the  steamer  beginning  to 
ring  the  warning  of  departure,  Still  walked  up 
the  gang-plank  and  left  Edward  alone  with  the 
pleasantest  thoughts  a  man  ever  has — the 
thoughts  of  the  woman  he  loves. 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY-FOUR 

"Say,  Allan,  goin'  ter  ther  weddin'  ternight, 
ain't  yer?"  called  out  Still,  one  beautiful  morn 
ing  in  September,  as  he  stopped  his  horse  in  front 
of  Allan  Carter's  house. 

"Yes,  Mary  and  I  are  calculating  on  going,  if 
nothing  happens.  You  going?" 

"Goin'  ?  I  sh'd  say  I  wuz,  ef  I  hev  ter  kill  ther 
last  pig  in  ther  pen.  Wouldn't  miss  that  fer 
nothin'.  I  figger  it'll  be  er  bigger  time  than  we 
bed  Fourth  of  July  in  seventy-six,  when  we  hed 
that  big  man  down  from  Boston  ter  give  us  er 
speech,  an'  ther  platform  in  front  uv  ther  hay 
scales  broke  down  before  he  wuz  half  way  through. 
'Member  that  ?  I  shall  never  fergit  it  ter  my  dy- 
in'  day,  an'  proberbly  not  fer  some  time  after. 
Never  saw  er  person  so  worked  up  ez  Aunt  Me- 
lindy  Merrill  wuz.  I  wuz  right  near  her  when 
she  went  through,  an'  helped  pull  her  out.  No 

824 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

bones  broke,  but  that  best  bunnit  uv  hers  wuz  all 
stove  up.  Never  should  hev  knowed  it,  an'  I'd 
seen  it  ev'ry  Sunday  that  it  didn't  rain  fer  more'n 
ten  years.  Sails  an'  riggin'  all  gone,  er  big  hole 
in  ther  bows,  an'  ther  stern  pushed  in  ez  fer  ez 
ther  after  hatch.  Ef  ever  I  see  er  wreck,  I  see 
one  then.  Well,  ez  soon  ez  she  got  her  breath,  she 
reached  up  fer  it,  an'  I  thought  I  sh'd  die  at  ther 
look  on  her  face  when  she  see  it.  She  bust  out  er 
cryin'  an'  wringin'  her  han's  an'  sayin',  'Oh,  my 
bunnit!  Oh,  my  bunnit!'  Jest  then  John  Duffy 
come  erlong,  and  sez  he,  'Aunt  Melindy,  yer  hus 
band's  hed  his  leg  broke  when  ther  platform  went 
down.'  An'  Melindy  stopped  cryin'  jest  long  er- 
nuff  ter  say  ter  John  'git  him  home  an'  git  er  doc 
tor/  and  then  she  bust  out  cryin'  ergin,  'Oh,  my 
bunnit !  Oh,  my  bunnit !'  Never  wuz  so  tickled 
in  all  my  life. 

"I  swear  if  I  wuz  at  er  funeral  an'  happened 
ter  think  uv  Aunt  Melindy,  I  sh'd  hev  hard  work 
not  ter  laugh.  Well,  I  must  go  erlong,  an'  git 
fixed  up  fer  this  evenin'." 

"Wasn't  you  surprised,  Still,  at  Ed's  having  her 
after  all?  Mary  and  I  thought  Ed's  cake  was 
dough  when  Elinor  got  engaged  to  that  New  York 

325 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

fellow.  We  knew  he  hadn't  been  down  since  last 
summer,  and  the  postmaster  was  telling  some  one 
that  he  hadn't  seen  any  letters  coming  or  going 
for  a  long  time  and  he  thought  something  was  up. 
But  we  didn't  know  but  what  he  had  gone  out 
West  or  to  Europe  where  he  couldn't  send  letters 
very  often." 

"No,"  replied  Still,  "I  wuzn't  surprised  one 
mite.  I  knew  Elinor  would  drop  that  New  Yorker 
an'  be  on'y  too  glad  ter  git  Ed  ergin  ez  soon  ez 
she'd  got  her  senses.  They  say  'Love  is  blind'  an' 
all  that,  but  even  then  it  hed  ort  ter  hev  some 
hearin'  an'  some  common  sense.  I  think  love  is 
more  like  er  hoss  with  ther  blind  staggers.  Can't 
see  nothin'  ner  feel  ther  reins.  Jest  ez  crazy  ez 
er  loon,  an'  d'ruther  run  inter  stone  walls 
than  not.  Ez  fer  'bein'  surprised,  no,  I  wuzn't 
surprised  er  bit.  You  see  things  is  happenin' 
ev'ry  day  right  under  our  noses,  ez  ther  feller  sed 
when  some  one  hit  him  in  ther  mouth  with  er 
sp'iled  egg,  an'  we  don't  know  they're  goin'  ter 
happen  till  they  happen.  Ed  could  hev  ruined  his 
chances  uv  ever  gittin'  her  by  makin'  er  fool  uv 
himself,  but  he  jest  held  right  on  his  course  an' 
sed  nothin'.  HolPrin'  an'  yellin'  an'  cryin'  baby 

326 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

never  changed  anybuddy's  mind  er  helped  er  fel 
ler  any. 

"It  cut  Ed  pooty  deep  on  ther  start,  an'  I  guess 
it  wuz  some  time  before  ther  place  quit  smartin', 
but  he  gritted  his  teeth  an'  'tended  ter  bizness. 
Uv  course,  I  s'pose  I'm  sort  uv  predjerdiced  in 
his  favor,  but  let  me  tell  yer  that  Ed  Locke  is 
ther  smartes'  boy  what's  been  raised  in  this  town 
in  er  dog's  age,  an'  that  sort  uv  fellers  come  out 
uv  ther  big  end  uv  ther  horn  sooner  er  later. 
Ev'rybuddy's  goin'  ter  ther  weddin'  they  say. 
Guess  Sarah  hez  give  out  er  sort  uv  general  invita 
tion.  Only  daughter,  yer  know,  an'  she's  always 
set  er  store  by  her.  Church  is  all  trimmed  up 
with  spruce  boughs,  an'  ther  ain't  er  flower  left 
in  ther  whole  village  on  ther  bush.  Choir  is 
goin'  ter  sing  two  er  three  pieces,  an'  young  Bill 
Brown  hez  been  practicin'  on  ther  organ  till  ther 
ends  uv  his  fingers  are  most  worn  down  to  ther 
bone.  I  was  up  to  ther  village  this  mornin'  an' 
it's  all  they're  talkin'  erbout,  an'  much  ez  ever  I 
could  git  ther  storekeeper  ter  wait  on  me.  Seemed 
like  war  times.  Ev'rybuddy  holl'rin  an'  nobuddy 
'tendin'  ter  bizness.  Somebuddy  wuz  sayin'  that 
they  hed  what  they  called  er  rehearsal  uv  ther 

327 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

weddin'  last  night  in  ther  church.  Elinor  an' 
Ed  pranced  down  ther  aisle,  an'  Bill  played  ther 
organ,  an'  they  went  through  ther  whole  rinktum 
'cept  ther  last  words.  I  sh'd  think  that  would 
take  ther  fun  all  out  uv  it.  Jest  ez  lieves  rehearse 
my  own  funeral,  seems  ter  me.  But  then,  they 
hev  so  many  new  styles  nowadays,  that  heaven 
only  knows  what  they'll  do  next.  I'm  goin',  rain 
er  shine,  an'  git  er  front  place  down  ermong  ther 
mourners'  seats,  seein'  ez  my  mother  an'  Sarah's 
mother  wuz  fust  cousins. 

"By  ther  way,  Allan,  you've  got  ter  decide  when 
yer  git  there  whether  yer  er  friend  uv  ther  bride 
er  ther  groom.  'Twon't  be  hard  fer  most  uv  us 
ter  decide,  seein'  we  knowed  both  uv  'em  sence 
they  wuz  born  an'  could  pick  either  one  uv  'em 
out  in  ther  dark.  But  that's  one  uv  Sarah's 
rinktums.  She  read  somewhere  in  er  paper  that's 
what  they  do  in  Boston,  an'  so  uv  course  it  bed 
ter  be  done.  Hope  we  shan't  all  decide  one  way, 
'cause  ef  we  git  all  put  on  one  side  uv  ther  meet- 
in'  house  it  may  give  ther  buildin'  er  bad  list  ter 
starbud  er  port.  Guess  I'll  tell  'em  I'm  neutral, 
an'  then  they  can  stoAv  me  away  most  anywheres. 
So  when  you  an'  Mary  git  there  ternight,  ef  one 

328 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

uv  ther  fellers  who's  seatin'  folks  asks  yer  ther 
question,  yer'll  know  what  he  means.  There's 
more  'citement  in  ther  village  than  there  wuz  when 
Deacon  Osgood's  mare  hed  ther  colic  in  front 
uv  ther  church  last  spring  jest  ez  meetin'  was  let- 
tin'  out,  an'  that  wan't  no  quiet  ercassion  either, 
by  er  jug  full.  All  uv  ther  women  er  lettin'  their 
houskeepin'  go  ter  ther  dogs  an'  spendin'  their 
time  gettin'  ther  best  clothes  ready,  an'  ther  men 
er  all  settin'  'round  ther  stores  smokin'  an'  fig- 
gerin'  out  how  much  Ed's  salary  is.  Figgers  wuz 
runnin'  while  I  wuz  there  all  ther  way  from  five 
thousand  dollars  ter  fifty  thousand  dollars,  an' 
sev'ral  small  bets  had  been  made  erbout  it. 
Shouldn'  be  surprised  ef  quite  er  few  dollars 
changed  han's  if  they're  ever  able  ter  find  out  any 
thing  erbout  it.  They  tell  me  that  Ed  an'  Elinor 
are  goin'  on  er  bridal  trip  ter  Washin'ton,  an'  I 
shan't  be  surprised  ef  they  see  ther  pres'dent. 
Well,  I  must  be  joggin'  erlong." 

The  wedding  night  arrived,  that  night  from 
which  the  whole  town  would  date  subsequent 
events,  and  the  Baptist  church  was  filled  to  the 
doors  as  no  revival  or  funeral  had  ever  filled  it  or 
ever  could  have  filled  it. 

329 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  organist  had  played  every  tune  that  was 
appropriate  to  the  occasion,  and  had  followed 
these  with  several  hymns,  including,  "Sister, 
Thou  Wert  Mild  and  Lovely,"  and  "Come,  ye 
Disconsolate,"  and  a  suppressed  whispering  filled 
the  house.  The  appearance  of  the  evening  cos 
tumes  of  the  Boston  friends  of  the  groom  filled 
the  women  population  of  Bartlett  who  were  pres 
ent  with  mingled  feelings  of  awe  and  envy,  and 
each  woman  began  to  memorize  and  mentally  copy 
the  dress  or  hat  that  particularly  attracted  her, 
and  which  she  knew  as  soon  as  she  saw  it  was 
what  would  "suit  her  own  style." 

Just  before  the  patience  of  the  assemblage  had 
become  exhausted  and  the  organist  had  almost 
decided  to  play  "Onward,  Christian  Soldiers, 
Marching  as  to  War,"  the  bridal  party  entered.  It 
was  the  customary  procession  on  such  an  occa 
sion.  First,  the  bridesmaids,  filled  with  pride  of 
their  own  importance  and  envy  of  the  bride,  and 
then  the  bride  herself,  pale  and  wan  from  the 
nerve-wearing  excitement  of  the  wedding  prepara 
tions,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  her  elder  brother, 
who  was  feeling  decidedly  out  of  place,  and  who 
would  much  rather  have  been  at  home  chop- 

330 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

ping  wood  if  he  could  have  had  any  choice  in 
the  matter. 

They  were  met  at  the  end  of  the  aisle  in  front 
of  the  pulpit  by  the  groom,  who  had  a  do-or-die 
look  on  his  face,  and  by  his  best  man,  an  asso 
ciate  in  business  in  Boston,  who,  having  acted  in 
that  capacity  a  number  of  times  before,  regarded 
the  whole  affair  as  more  or  less  of  a  bore,  but  one 
of  those  things  one  couldn't  well  refuse  to  do  for 
a  friend. 

And  then  the  white-haired  and  venerable  min 
ister  descended  from  the  pulpit,  and  standing  be 
fore  the  couple  in  a  few  moments  made  Elinor 
and  Edward  man  and  wife.  The  organ  played 
again,  and  the  bridal  party  walked  out  of  church. 

And  then,  as  quickly  as  they  could,  every  one 
rushed  out  of  the  church,  climbed  into  the  buggy 
or  carryall  in  which  they  had  come  to  the  wed 
ding,  and  drove  to  Sarah  Day's  home  to  the  re 
ception. 

The  women,  after  congratulating  the  happy 
couple,  went  immediately  into  the  room  where  the 
wedding  presents  were  displayed,  where  every 
guest  from  the  town  of  Bartlett  found  to  her 
horror  and  indignation  that  the  cards  of  all  the 

331 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

donors  had  been  removed  by  Sarah  Day,  who  had 
read  in  the  paper  that  it  was  the  proper  thing  to 
do.  Each  woman  felt  that  she  had  been  person 
ally  insulted,  for  she  thereby  had  not  only  lost 
the  pleasure  of  having  people  notice  her  present, 
but  she  had  also  lost  that  particular  feminine  joy 
of  calling  the  attention  of  her  particular  bosom 
friend  to  the  hideous  taste  displayed  by  all  other 
women  in  what  they  had  given. 

Nevertheless  there  was  some  enjoyment  in  the 
midst  of  the  temporary  gloom,  for  they  had  the 
one  chance  of  their  lives  to  study  the  fashions  as 
displayed  by  the  guests  from  Boston,  and  gaze 
with  awestricken  looks  upon  the  quantities  of  sil 
ver  and  cut  glass  given  by  Edward's  friends,  and 
wonder  for  what  purpose  nine-tenths  of  the  arti 
cles  were  ever  intended. 

The  men  had,  meanwhile,  hitched  their  horses 
to  the  fence  each  side  of  the  house,  and  from  nat 
ural  diffidence,  not  caring  to  meet  so  many  strange 
people  all  at  once,  remained  outside  and  proceed 
ed  to  talk  politics,  horses,  and  crops  until  one  by 
one  they  were  hunted  down  by  their  wives  and 
dragged  into  the  house.  Then,  having  been  led 
up  to  the  bride  and  groom  and  having  hurriedly 

332 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

said,  "How  d'y  do/'  unless  previously  warned  by 
their  wives  what  was  proper  to  say,  they  naturally 
drifted  into  the  dining-room,  and  there,  manlike, 
felt  at  home  as  long  as  the  supply  of  food  held 
out. 

When  Still  was  presented  to  the  happy  couple 
he  took  both  of  them  by  the  hand  and  said,  "I 
feel  like  askin'  er  blessin'  same's  when  yer  set 
down  ter  ther  table,  but  I  guess  yer  don't  need 
it.  Both  uv  yer  hez  got  ther  best  person  I  know, 
an'  what  more  c'd  yer  ask? 

"Elinor,  be  patient  with  him.  He's  nothin'  but 
er  man,  an'  they're  generally  hard  ter  put  up  with, 
though  most  uv  'em  are  good-hearted  an'  can  be 
led  ez  easy  ez  pie,  but  they  can't  be  driven  much. 
Let  him  think  he's  bavin'  his  own  way,  an'  you'll 
hev  yours. 

"Ed,  be  good  to  her  ev'ry  day  uv  yer  life  an' 
never  quit  lettin'  her  know  that  without  her,  life 
wouldn't  be  wuth  livin'.  They're  different  than 
what  we  are,  an'  allers  let  her  hev  ther  best 
you've  got  in  yer  nature  an'  save  ther  wust  fer 
ther  outside  world.  God  bless  yer  both,  an'  some 
times  think  uv  yer  old  friend  who'll  never  fergit 
yer." 

333 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

'Thus  ended  the  first  lesson  in  the  married  life 
of  Elinor  Day  and  Edward  Locke.  The  ship  had 
been  launched  and  had  sailed  away  with  a  fair 
wind  and  tide,  and  the  sky  was  blue  and  bright 
above  her.  May  she  ever  find  pleasant  weather 
and  prosperous  voyages.  But  if  storms  should 
come,  let  them  not  burst  upon  her  until  she  is 
safely  anchored  within  the  harbor  of  perfect  love. 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY-FIVE 

"Mr.  Gott,  will  you  go  fishing  with  me?" 

The  man  turned  around  quickly  and  saw  the 
bright-eyed  son  of  Allan  Carter  standing  by  his 
side  waiting  with  anxious  look  for  his  reply. 

"Hullo,  Archie,  yer  well  nigh  scared  me  out  uv 
er  year's  growth  comin'  up  behind  me  that  way. 
What  on  airth  made  yer  so  still  erbout  it?  Allers 
supposed  yer  c'd  hear  ther  average  boy  er  mile 
off  when  he  wanted  anythin'.  What  wuz  yer  cal- 
'latin'  goin'  fishin'  after?  Clams  er  blueberries, 
eh?"  asked  Still  smilingly. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Gott,  Nelse  Thompson  had  promised 
to  take  me  fishing  outside  of  the  Rock  today,  if 
father  would  let  me  go,  and  I  asked  him  and  he 
said  no,  he  wouldn't  trust  me  with  either  Nelse 
or  his  boat.  Then  I  asked  him  could  I  go  if  you 
would  go  with  me,  and  then  mother  teased  him 
and  he  said  yes  if  you  went.  Won't  you  go?" 
pleaded  the  boy. 

335 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Well,  now,  Archie/'  answered  Still,  "I  wuz 
thinkin'  uv  sort  uv  diggin'  out  er  few  more  stones 
terday  frum  my  upper  field,  but  if  yer  think  they 
won't  spile,  er  ther  bugs  git  inter  'em  ef  I  don't 
pick  'em  terday,  mebbe  I'll  go  an'  see  what  we  kin 
do  in  ther  way  uv  gittin'  er  mess  uv  fish  fer  win 
ter  use  an'  sum  fer  ther  neighbors.  S'pose  yer 
want  ter  start  right  off,  don't  yer?  S'prisin'  how 
you  boys  pester  me." 

"Why,  Mr.  Gott,  we  don't  mean  to  pester  you. 
I  thought  you  would  be  willing  to  go.  You  know 
you  most  always  do  what  we  boys  want  you  to," 
said  the  boy  in  a  surprised  tone  of  voice. 

"  'Shaw,  Archie,"  replied  Still  as  he  affection 
ately  patted  the  boy  on  the  shoulder,  "ef  nothin' 
bothers  me  more'n  you  boys  do,  I'll  go  through 
this  world  on  one  uv  those  flow'ry  beds  uv  ease 
ther  hymn  book  tells  erbout,  though  ter  tell  yer  ther 
truth  I  allers  thought  sleepin'  on  er  bed  uv  flowers 
would  give  er  feller  ther  rheumatiz,  unless  they 
wuz  careful  ter  pick  'em  after  ther  dew  wuz  off. 
Now  you  go  an'  tell  Nelse  ter  go  down  ter  ther 
shore  an'  git  things  ready,  an'  not  fergit  ter  bring 
more'n  half  what  we  need,  an'  I'll  go  inter  ther 
house  an'  git  my  boots  an'  oilskins,  an'  be  right 

336 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

erlong  after  yer  like  er  sharp  stick." 

A  few  moments  later  Still  was  down  on  the 
shore  of  the  bay,  and  soon  the  two  men  and  the 
happy  boy  were  aboard  of  the  apology  for  a  sail 
boat  owned  by  Thompson.  Still  examined  the 
boat  critically,  and  turning  to  Thompson,  said, 
"Nelse,  judgin'  frum  ther  looks  uv  this  air  boat, 
I  sh'd  think  it  'ud  keep  yer  gardeen  angel  busy 
all  ther  time  lookin'  after  yer.  Yer  mast  hez  two 
sweeps  an'  er  bend  in  it,  yer  sails  were  used  in  my 
erpinyun  by  Noah  on  ther  Ark,  an'  there  ain't 
no  rope  er  line  on  her  what  ain't  full  uv  knots 
where  you've  tied  'em  up  'stead  uv  puttin'  on  new 
ones.  'Stead  uv  calling  her  ther  'Wanderer/  I 
sh'd  call  her  ther  'Tramp,'  er  name  that  'ud  fit. 
Dunno  ez  I'm  tickled  ter  death  'bout  goin',  but 
howsomever  ez  ther  boy  hez  sot  his  heart  on  it,  an' 
it  don't  look  ez  though  er  blow  wuz  comin',  I 
guess  we  can  stand  it  ef  we  git  home  by  dark. 
Now,  ef  yer  think  ther  riggin'll  hold  up  ther  mast, 
an'  ther  mast  hold  up  ther  sail,  an'  ther  sail  hold 
tergether,  p'raps  we  better  start.  An'  while  yer 
gittin'  down  ther  bay  by  ther  help  uv  ther  wind 
an'  divine  Providence,  I'll  be  baitin'  ther  trawl 
an'  overhaulin'  ther  lines,  an'  so  on." 

337 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  delighted  boy  sat  down  on  the  deck  and 
watched  the  man  bait  the  countless  number  of 
hooks  on  the  trawl  which  lay  coiled  up  in  a  tub. 

"Mr.  Gott/'  he  asked,  "do  codfish  and  haddock 
steal  bait  like  dinners,  or  do  they  grab  for  it  the 
same  as  mackerel  do  when  they  are  hungry?" 

"No,"  answered  Still,  "they  don't.  Fish  makes 
me  think  uv  folks.  Gunners  is  like  ther  folks 
what  want  ter  git  what  don't  belong  to  'em  by 
sort  uv  sneakin'  away  with  it,  an'  mackerel  air 
like  sum  people  that  sort  uv  figger  that  ef  they 
jest  sort  uv  make  er  grab  an'  git  erway  quick 
yer'll  be  so  surprised  that  they'll  be  out  uv  sight 
before  yer  kin  ketch  yer  breath;  but  codfish  they 
jest  open  their  mouths  an'  swaller  bait,  hook,  an' 
as  much  uv  ther  line  ez  they  kin,  till  it  fetches  up 
in  ther  bottom  uv  their  stomach.  An'  then  they 
lay  there  ez  contented  ez  contented  kin  be,  an' 
when  yer  pull  'em  up  they  don't  make  much  fuss 
'cept  sort  uv  hangin'  back  till  yer  git  'em  'way  up 
to  ther  top  uv  water.  Ter  my  mind  they  ain't 
what  you'd  call  er  reel  brainy  fish.  Still,  ez  they 
make  good  fish  ter  fry  er  salt,  an'  ez  ther  heads 
don't  ermount  ter  much  an'  air  generally  thrown 
erway,  I  never  hearn  anybuddy  complain  erbout 

338 


STILLMAN    GOTT 

their  lack  uv  brains/'  he  added  with  a  smile, 
"though  come  ter  think  uv  it,  they  ort  ter  know 
something  seein'  they  allers  go  in  schools." 

The  boat  worked  slowly  down  the  bay,  increas 
ing  her  speed  as  the  wind  freshened,  and  soon  the 
fishing  grounds  were  reached.  The  trawl  was  set, 
Still  grumbling  in  a  pleasant  way  all  the  time 
because  nothing  was  "ship-shape,"  as  he  termed 
it.  And  then  the  delighted  boy  was  handed  a  line 
and  told  to  fish.  Both  men  and  the  boy  had 
caught  quite  a  number  of  cod  and  haddock,  when 
the  ever  watchful  eye  of  Still  told  him  that  the 
wind  was  fast  increasing,  and  that  considering 
the  boat  and  the  poor  way  in  which  she  was  rigged, 
it  would  be  necessary  to  start  for  home  if  common 
prudence  was  consulted. 

"Nelse,"  he  said,  "guess  we  better  haul  that 
trawl  an'  see  what  we've  got,  an'  then  sort  uv  head 
her  toward  home.  Look's  kind  uv  bad  overhead." 

"Oh,  now,  Still,  guess  yer  more  scared'n  hurt, 
ain't  yer?"  inquired  the  skipper  of  the  boat,  in 
the  same  drawling  tone  of  voice  in  which  he  would 
have  announced  either  the  capture  of  a  haddock 
or  the  arrival  of  an  earthquake.  "Still,  ruther'n 
hev  yer  fussin'  erbout  ther  boy,  I'll  do  it." 

339 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

The  two  men  proceeded  to  haul  the  trawl  while 
the  hoy  stood  at  the  side  of  the  boat  and  watched 
the  fish  come  in  over  the  side.  There  were  the  cod, 
haddock,,  and  pollock,  and  once  in  a  while  the 
great  triangular,  sombre-looking  skate  fish.  When 
about  half  of  the  trawl  had  been  taken  in,  the  boy 
noticed  that  the  captured  fish  were  farther  apart 
on  the  line,  and  that  once  in  every  few  minutes 
only  a  part  of  a  good-sized  cod  or  haddock  re 
mained  on  the  hook. 

"What  did  that?"  he  inquired. 

"Ther  pesky  dog  fish,"  answered  Nelse,  "and 
that  settles  our  fishin'.  They've  not  o'ny  scared 
off  ther  rest,  but  they've  stole  part  uv  what  we've 
ketched.  They're  wuss'n  er  pack  uv  wolves." 

The  trawl  was  taken  in,  the  anchor  hauled  up, 
the  sails  set  and  the  party  started  for  home.  But 
before  they  had  proceeded  a  mile,  the  wind  in 
creased  until  it  was  blowing  half  a  gale. 

"Nelse,"  finally  said  Still,  as  the  boat  pushed 
her  nose  into  a  sea  and  dashed  the  spray  over 
them,  "strikes  me  that  considerin'  ther  wind  an' 
tide  air  dead  erginst  us,  an'  that  this  boat  ain't 
reel  up  an'  comin'  ez  regards  riggin'  an'  so  on, 
'twould  be  er  good  idee  fer  us  ter  sort  uv  put  fer 

340 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Gull  Cove  an'  anchor  over  night.  Frightened  any, 
Archie  ?"  he  asked  as  he  turned  toward  the  boy  at 
his  side. 

"Yes,  a  little/'  replied  the  boy  with  a  look  of 
confidence  in  his  friend. 

"Don't  blame  yer  er  bit,  seein'  ez  yer've  never 
been  out'n  er  blow.  Ef  yer'd  sed  yer  wuzn't,  I'd 
thort  yer  wuz  lyin'  er  else  er  half  idgit.  Don't 
want  no  boys  ner  men  'round  me  what  ain't  scared 
once  in  er  while.  Make's  'em  more  careful.  By 
Judas,"  he  added,  "ef  ISTelse  hed  er  single  reef 
pint  in  his  mains'l,  I'd  reef  her,  but  I  might  hev 
knowed  he  wouldn't  hev  any." 

The  boat  was  slowly  staggering  into  the  cove, 
although  it  seemed  to  the  anxious  men  as  though 
every  fresh  gust  of  wind  would  knock  her  on  her 
beam  ends,  and  soon  they  were  far  enough  under 
the  lee  of  the  shore  to  be  somewhat  sheltered.  The 
anchor  was  dropped  and  the  two  men  and  the  boy 
crowded  into  the  small  cuddy  for  the  night. 

"Now  pitch  inter  ther  rest  uv  yer  luncheon," 
said  Still,  "an'  call  it  supper,  an'  I'll  be  diggin' 
ther  old  boots,  pots,  an'  kittles  an'  t'other  furni 
ture  ou'n  ther  berth  so's  yer  kin  turn  in." 

"But  what  are  you  going  to  eat  and  where  are 

341 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

you  two  to  sleep?"  asked  the  boy. 

"Oh,  we?"  asked  Still.  "Well,  yer  see  Nelse  an' 
me  never  eat  at  night.  We've  got  our  growth  an' 
we  never  eat  no  supper  'cause  ef  we  did  it  ud  make 
us  kind  uv  pussey.  Yer  pitch  right  in  an'  eat. 
Ez  fer  ez  sleepin'  is  concerned,  Nelse'll  coil  him 
self  up  most  anywheres,  an'  I'm  goin'  ter  be  on 
deck  fer  er  while  seein'  ef  that  half  pound  mud 
hook'll  hold  anything.  'Taint  big  ernuff  in  my 
erpinyun  ter  hold  er  ground  sparrer." 

The  wind  howled  all  night  long,  and  hardly 
an  hour  passed  that  Still  did  not  go  on  deck  and 
do  something  for  their  safety,  while  the  boy  slept 
the  sleep  of  innocence  and  of  confidence  in  his 
friend,  and  the  good-natured,  careless  skipper 
snored  on  the  cuddy  floor.  When  Still  was  not 
paying  out  more  line  in  order  that  the  boat  might 
ride  easier,  he  was  pumping  out  the  water  which 
came  into  the  boat  through  every  seam. 

The  morning  came,  and  no  signs  of  the  wind 
abating  were  apparent,  but  slowly  during  the  fore 
noon  the  storm  seemed  to  lose  its  force,  and  finally 
it  was  deemed  safe  by  the  two  men  to  start  again 
for  home.  The  sails  were  partly  hoisted,  the  an 
chor  weighed,  and  the  return  journey  began. 

342 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Still  had  asked  the  boy  to  remain  in  the  cuddy 
where  he  would  be  sheltered  from  the  wind  and 
the  flying  spray,  but  the  boy  had  recovered  from 
his  fear,  and  a  certain  excitement  had  taken  its 
place  which  caused  him  to  desire  to  remain  on 
deck  and  watch  the  storm.  The  boat  was  labor 
ing  hard  in  her  struggle  with  the  wind  and  tide, 
but  there  was  no  reason  to  fear  that  the  journey 
would  be  accomplished  in  a  few  hours  with  per 
fect  safety.  Still  had  gone  into  the  cuddy  for  a 
moment  when  Nelse  requested  the  boy  to  go  for 
ward  and  tend  the  jib  sheet  as  the  boat  came  about 
for  another  tack.  The  boy  turned  pale,  but  grit 
ting  his  teeth,  worked  his  way  along  the  side  of 
the  boat  which  was  lying  down  to  the  wind  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  journey  from  the  stern 
to  the  bow  was  similar  to  that  of  a  person  trying 
to  crawl  along  the  roof  of  a  house. 

The  rod  upon  which  the  jib  sheet  travelled  in 
stead  of  being  made  of  iron,  as  it  should  have 
been,  consisted  of  a  small  wooden  bar,  a  little 
longer  and  not  much  thicker  than  a  broom  handle, 
and  as  the  boy  standing  down  to  leeward  reached 
out  and  took  hold  of  the  sheet  where  it  extended 
out  over  the  side,  a  fresh  gust  of  wind  brought 

843 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

an  additional  strain  upon  the  stick  and  it  yielded 
to  this  last  call  upon  it  and  broke.  The  sheet 
thus  released  instantly  run  through  the  boy's 
hand,  he  lost  his  balance,  and  the  next  moment 
was  overboard. 

Still  had  reached  the  deck  just  as  the  accident 
happened,  and  in  the  same  moment  that  he  called 
out  to  the  frightened  skipper  to  bring  the  boat 
about,  sprang  into  the  water  after  the  boy.  As 
he  jumped,  he  saw  the  white  face  of  the  boy  come 
to  the  top  of  a  wave  far  astern  and  then  go  out 
of  sight  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  The  man  lifted 
himself  above  the  waves  every  few  strokes  as  he 
swam  in  the  direction  in  which  he  had  last  seen 
the  boy,  meanwhile  calling  out  to  him  to  keep  up 
his  courage,  and  in  a  few  moments,,  which  seemed 
to  the  anxious  man  like  the  passing  of  ages,  he  got 
near  enough  to  see  the  child's  form  sinking  slowly 
beneath  the  cold  waters  of  the  bay.  Taking  a 
deep  breath  he  dove  down  into  the  water,  and 
opening  his  eyes  glared  through  the  water  for 
the  drowning  boy.  As  the  seconds  passed  in  his 
search,  his  pent-up  breath  seemed  about  to  burst 
through  his  chest,  and  the  man  realized  that  he 
must  soon  turn  again  to  the  top  or  perish.  As 

344 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

with  one  despairing  look  around  he  started  to 
turn,  his  hand  grasped  the  clothing  of  the  boy 
beneath  him,  and  a  few  desperate  kicks  born  of 
the  strength  of  victory  brought  the  two  to  the 
open  air  again. 

As  Still  cleared  the  water  from  his  eyes,  the 
boat  rushed  down  upon  him,  and  the  strong  hand 
of  the  skipper  grasped  him  by  the  collar  and 
dragged  them  to  a  place  of  safety. 

"Is  he  dead?"  gasped  the  frightened  man. 

"  'Tend  ter  yer  blamed  old  sea  toad,  yer  purple- 
headed  idgit,  er  we'll  all  be  overboard  ergin,"  re 
plied  Still,  as  he  hurried  into  the  cuddy  with  the 
half-conscious  boy  in  his  arms.  He  stripped  him 
quickly  of  his  wet  clothing,  and  placing  him  in 
the  berth,  piled  over  him  all  the  coats  and  com 
forters  he  could  find,  and  then  filling  the  tea 
kettle  with  water,  placed  it  on  the  small  rusty 
stove,  in  which  he  had  built  a  fire.  The  small 
cuddy  soon  got  warm,  and  Still  reaching  under 
the  bed  clothes  found  that  the  boy  was  perspiring 
gently  and  sleeping  the  sleep  of  exhaustion.  Put 
ting  some  more  wood  in  the  stove  he  went  on  deck 
and  faced  the  horror-stricken  Thompson. 

"Nelse,"  he  said,  as  he  looked  at  the  skipper 

345 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

with  blazing  eyes,  "I  ain't  er  goin'  ter  tell  yer 
now  what  I  think  uv  yer  er  yer  condemned  old 
boat,  'cause  I'd  proberly  be  sorry  fer  it  bimeby. 
But  ef  ever  you  ketch  me  on  yer  old  scow  ergin 
it'll  be  because  I've  taken  er  sleepin'  powder  an' 
they've  brung  me  erboard." 

The  boat  soon  arrived  at  the  wharf,  and  Still, 
wrapping  Archie  in  the  coats  and  comforters,  ran 
up  through  the  fields  with  the  boy  in  his  arms, 
and  gently  laid  him  on  the  bed  in  the  small  bed 
room  of  his  father's  house. 

"Don't  git  frightened,"  he  said  to  the  surprised 
parents,  "he's  all  right.  He's  been  overboard,  an' 
I  after  him,  an'  he's  ther  best  fish  I  ever  pulled 
out  uv  tber  water.  All  right  now,  ain't  yer, 
Archie  ?"  he  asked  of  the  boy,  who  smilingly  nod 
ded  assent  to  the  question.  "Well,  then,"  said 
Still,  "ez  that's  off'n  my  mind,  I  guess  I'll  go 
home  an'  change  my  clothes.  Folks  always  say 
yer  never  ketch  cold  frum  salt  water,  but  I  guess 
they  must  hev  meant  in  ther  summer  time,  an' 
not  late  in  ther  fall,  ez  I'm  feelin'  er  leetle  mite 
chilly  round  ther  edges." 


346 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY-SIX 

"Why,  Tiger,  what  brings  you  over  here  ?"  ques 
tioned  Mary  Carter  the  next  morning.  She  had 
opened  the  back  door  of  the  house,  and  the  next 
moment  Still's  dog  had  bounded  into  the  room 
and  leaped  upon  her  in  a  very  excited  manner. 
"Want  something  to  eat,  or  is  your  master  com 
ing?"  As  she  spoke  to  the  dog,  she  noticed  a  bit 
of  paper  tied  to  his  collar,  and  immediately  saw 
it  was  a  note  addressed  to  Allan  Carter.  Stepping 
to  the  door  again,  she  called  out  to  her  husband, 
who  was  at  the  barn,  "Allan,  come  in  just  as 
quick  as  you  can.  Something  has  happened  to 
Stillman  Gott." 

Mr.  Carter  came  into  the  house,  took  the  note 
handed  him  by  his  wife,  and  reading  it,  turned 
and  said  in  an  excited  tone  of  voice: 

"Mary,  get  your  things  on  just  as  quick  as  you 
can.  Still  is  sick  abed,  and  wants  you  and  me 

347 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

to  come  over  there.  I'll  go  out  and  harness  the 
horse,  and  you  pick  up  a  few  things  to  eat,  and 
we'll  go  over.  I'll  have  to  leave  you  there  prob 
ably,  while  I  go  for  the  doctor." 

They  bustled  around,  and  a  short  half-hour  saw 
them  at  Still's  little  home.  While  Mrs.  Carter 
made  a  fire  and  "got  things  to  rights,"  as  she 
termed  it,  Allan  went  into  the  bedroom  and  tak 
ing  a  seat  by  the  side  of  the  sick  man,  asked, 
'Why,  Still,  what  is  the  matter  with  you?" 

"Allan,"  said  Still,  "not  bein'  er  doctor,  I  dun- 
no.  But  I  hed  er  chill  in  ther  night,  an'  I  feel 
all  stuffed  up.  May  be  one  thing  an'  may  be  an 
other.  Guess  I'm  too  old  to  hev  croup,  an'  'taint 
er  broken  leg.  Ef  er  hoss  wuz  actin'  ther  way  I 
feel,  I  sh'd  say  he  hed  ther  heaves.  Any  rate,  ef 
not  too  much  trouble  fer  yer,  I  wish  yer'd  drive 
over  an'  git  Doctor  Lufkin.  I  never  hed  any  use 
fer  him  'till  now^  but  seein'  ez  he  makes  his  livin' 
off'n  sick  folks,  guess  it's  my  turn  ter  help  sup 
port  him.  Hev  Mary,  if  she  will,  make  me  some 
hot  drink  uv  some  kind  er  ruther  an'  I'll  stiver 
erlong  somehow  till  you  git  back.  Better  put  er 
hot  brick  ter  my  feet,  too." 

Two  hours  from  that  time,  Allan  Carter  and 

348 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Dr.  Lufkin  stood  by  the  bedside  of  the  sick  man. 
As  he  heard  them  come  into  the  room,  he  opened 
his  eyes  and  smilingly  said : 

"Hello,  Doc.  Hain't  seen  yer  since  I  kidnapped 
yer  an'  took  yer  onter  Sheep  island.  Yer've  got 
or  good  chance  ter  git  even  now,  although  I'd  like 
ter  hev  yer  wait  till  I  feel  a  little  smarter.  Ain't 
feelin'  real  kinky  terday." 

The  doctor  made  no  reply,  but  took  Still's  pulse 
and  temperature,  asked  him  a  few  questions,  and, 
turning  to  Mrs.  Carter,  said: 

"Mrs.  Carter,  either  you  or  Allan,  or  at  least 
some  one,  must  stay  with  Still  for  a  few  days,  as 
he  will  need  constant  care." 

"What's  the  matter  with  me,  doctor?"  inquired 
Still. 

"Pneumonia,"  answered  the  doctor. 

"Am  I  pooty  sick?" 

"Not  yet,"  was  the  cautious  reply  of  the  physi 
cian. 

"Goin'  ter  be?"  was  the  further  question. 

"I'm  afraid,  Still,  that  you  are  going  to  be  seri 
ously  ill." 

"Kind  uv  mean  thing  ter  have,  I  guess.  Kind 
uv  dangerous,  ain't  it?" 

349 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

"Yes,  very  dangerous  in  your  case,  Still.  You 
are  a  sensible  fellow,  and  I  am  going  to  be  truth 
ful  with  you,"  answered  the  doctor,  gravely. 

"Yes,"  answered  Still,  "I  want  ther  truth.  It's 
bad  ernough  ter  lie  to  er  well  man,  let  erlone  er 
sick  one.  I  don't  know  nothin'  erbout  noomony, 
an'  you  do.  So  you  take  hold  an'  run  things  ter 
suit  yerself .  You're  captain  this  trip  an'  I  don't 
amount  ter  hand  er  cook,  so  I'll  jest  lay  here  an' 
mind  orders.  If  I'm  goin'  ter  git  well,  all  right, 
an'  if  I  ain't,  why,  I  s'pose  that's  all  right.  Guess 
I  can  be  spared  out  uv  this  town  ez  well  ez  any- 
buddy." 

"Why,  Still,"  said  Mrs.  Carter,  "you  mustn't 
give  up  that  way.  "It's  your  duty  to  try  to  live." 

"Mary,  don't  yer  be  erfraid  but  what  I'll  try 
ter  live.  Guess  most  people  don't  figger  on  ther 
duty  part  much,  howsomever,  when  they  try  ter 
keep  erlive.  Life  means  er  good  deal  ter  me  yet. 
I  jest  wanted  ter  say  that  I  wuz  sort  uv  resigned 
ter  which  ever  way  it  went,  and  not  that  I  wuz 
tired  uv  this  world.  It's  an  old  world,  but  it  ain't 
wore  out  yet.  Head  feels  kind  uv  heavy;  guess 
I'll  quit  talkin'  an'  go  ter  sleep." 

And  the  sick  man  closed  his  eyes  and  soon  was 

350 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

asleep  in  the  heavy,  stupid  sleep  that  always  ac 
companies  pneumonia. 

For  days  the  doctor,  assisted  by  Allan  and  Mary 
Carter,  worked  unceasingly  for  the  life  of  their 
friend,  hoping  against  hope.  At  times  he  would 
appear  to  be  better,  and  then  the  dread  disease 
would  start  with  renewed  vigor,  and  despair  would 
come  in  and  drive  hope  away. 

The  critical  day  came  when  the  question  of  life 
or  death  for  Still  was  to  be  decided.  All  day  long 
he  had  been  slowly  sinking,  but  late  in  the  after 
noon  his  brain  became  clearer  and  the  full  light 
of  reason  returned  to  his  eyes. 

"What  day  is  it,  doctor?"  he  whispered. 

"Thursday,  Still,"  was  the  reply. 

"Am  I  goin'  ter  live  ?"  was  the  next  question. 

"I'm  afraid  not,  Still,  but  you  know  while 
there's  life,  there's  hope/'  the  doctor  answered. 

The  sick  man  was  quiet  for  a  few  moments,  and 
apparently  had  gone  to  sleep  again.  Soon,  how 
ever,  he  again  opened  his  eyes  and  said: 

"Allan  and  Mary,  let  me  take  yer  hands  in 
mine.  I  guess  I'm  er  goin',  an'  I  want  ter  bid 
yer  good-b}'.  When  I  wuz  er  little  feller  an*  I 
got  tired  I  used  ter  go  an'  hunt  up  my  mother. 

351 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

I'm  awfully  tired  now,  an'  I  guess  I'll  go  an'  find 
her  ergin." 

He  closed  his  eyes  and  soon  fell  asleep.  The 
hours  slowly  passed  away,  disturbed  only  by  the 
ticking  of  the  clock,  and  as  the  sun  slowly  sank 
behind  the  curtain  of  spruces  in  the  pasture  back 
of  the  little  home,  the  spirit  of  Stillman  Gott 
passed  from  this  earth  to  the  world  beyond. 


CHAPTER 
TWENTY-SEVEN 

The  day  of  the  funeral  arrived,  and  almost 
every  person  in  the  town  of  Bartlett  assembled  in 
the  Baptist  Church,  where  Still  had  attended  wor 
ship  so  many  years.  The  customary  hymns  had 
been  sung  by  the  choir,  and  the  white-haired  min 
ister  had  offered  his  petition  to  the  Almighty  in 
behalf  of  the  deceased. 

There  was  a  slight  pause,  and  then  the  minister 
arose  and  said:  "It  has  seemed  fit  and  proper 
that  this  service  should  be  held  in  the  church 
rather  than  in  the  humble  home  of  our  deceased 
friend,  for  two  reasons.  First,  because  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  all  those  who  desired  to 
pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  Stillman  Gott 
to  have  been  accommodated  there,  and  secondly, 
because  he  wished  certain  information  to  be  im 
parted  to  the  people  of  this  town,  and  it  was  de 
cided  to  have  as  many  as  possible  gather  together 
353 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

on  the  day  of  the  funeral  for  that  purpose.  The 
information  will  be  given  by  Judge  Eaton  at  the 
end  of  the  services,  and  will  consist  of  the  read 
ing  of  the  last  will  and  testament  of  our  friend. 

"The  wishes  of  the  deceased  were  that  these  ser 
vices  should  be  simple  and  in  keeping  with  the  life 
he  led,  and  therefore  I  shall  not  preach  any  fu 
neral  sermon  nor  make  any  extended  remarks.  I 
simply  wish  to  call  attention  to  the  life  of  our 
friend,  because  I  believe  there  were  things  in  that 
life  that  we  should  consider,  things  for  us  to  imi 
tate.  We  read  in  the  good  book  the  parable  of  the 
talents,  and  we  know  that  we  are  taught  to  use  all 
the  power  and  intellect  given  us,  not  for  our  own 
good  alone,  but  rather  for  the  good  of  those 
around  us,  so  that  when  the  time  comes  for  an  ac 
counting,  we,  too,  can  hear  the  Master  say :  'Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant/  Almighty  God 
endowed  Stillman  Gott  with  a  certain  amount  of 
brains,  a  good  deal  of  common  sense  and  a  nat 
ural  desire  to  be  honest  and  industrious. 

"All  of  these  talents  he  used  to  the  best  of  his 
ability,  and  as  we  look  back  on  this  well  spent  life 
we  see  a  good  deal  that  is  worthy  of  imitation. 
In  later  years  it  pleased  the  Almighty  to  cause 

354 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

Stillman  Gott  to  become  possessed  of  quite  a  small 
fortune  for  this  section  of  the  country,  and  yet  he 
continued  to  live  the  same  modest  kind  of  a  life, 
spending  no  more  money  on  himself  than  before, 
and  in  no  wa,y  showing  that  wealth  had  affected 
his  habits  of  industry  or  his  good-hearted,  pleas 
ant  way  of  looking  at  the  world.  For  several 
years  I  have  been  the  very  willing,  but  unknown 
dispenser  of  his  charities,  he  believing  in  the 
biblical  doctrine  that  his  right  hand  should  not 
know  what  his  left  hand  did.  Many  persons  in 
this  town  now  know  for  the  first  time  whence  the 
help  came  whenever  they  needed  it.  They  knew 
before  that  directly  the  assistance  came  from  me, 
and  while  at  the  same  time  they  were  informed 
that  I  was  acting  for  some  one.  other  than  myself, 
they  were  also  told  that  I  had  solemnly  promised 
that  I  would  not  reveal  the  name  of  the  donor  as 
long  as  he  lived.  He  and  I  had  many  an  argu 
ment  over  the  question. 

"I  always  contended  that  persons  preferred  to 
know  who  helped  them,  in  order  that  they  might 
show  some  signs  of  gratitude,  some  sign  that  they 
fully  appreciated  what  was  done  for  them.  To 
all  my  arguments  he  invariably  turned  a  deaf  ear, 

355 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

saying  in  his  quaint,  dry  way:  'They  need  the 
help,  but  I  don't  need  the  thanks.'  He  has  gone 
from  among  us,  and  we  shall  never  see  him  again 
on  this  earth,  but  he  has  left  a  memory  behind 
him  that  will  become  stronger  and  better  each 
year  until  time  shall  be  no  more.  God  grant  that 
each  one  of  us  may  find  something  in  this  life 
that  has  passed  the  recollection  of  which  will 
make  us  better  men  and  women/' 

As  the  minister  ceased  speaking,  there  was  a 
moment  of  absolute  quiet,  and  then  Squire  Eaton 
stepped  forward,  faced  the  audience,  and  slowly 
putting  on  his  spectacles  drew  from  his  pocket  a 
folded  paper. 

"Friends  of  Stillman  Gott,"  he  began,  "it  will 
not  be  necessary  for  me  to  speak  of  the  deceased 
after  what  has  already  been  said,  but  I  will  simply 
carry  out  his  wishes.  After  Mr.  Gott  sold  his 
granite  quarry,  he  came  into  my  office  and  told 
me  what  he  had  done,  gave  me  the  check  that  he 
had  received  for  the  properly,  and  desired  me  to 
go  to  Boston  and  cash  it.  I  informed  him  that  I 
could  get  the  money  that  the  check  called  for 
from  the  nearest  bank,  as  it  was  a  certified  check, 
but  he  insisted  that  I  do  as  he  requested,  as  he 

356 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

did  not  desire  any  one  to  know  how  much  money 
he  had  received. 

"As  soon  as  I  had  received  the  money,  he  di 
rected  me  to  invest  the  same  in  a  safe  manner, 
and  keep  the  principal  for  him,  after  taking  out 
of  the  same  whatever  was  right  for  my  own  ser 
vices.  I  have  continued  to  do  so  ever  since  that 
time  down  to  the  date  of  his  death,  never  knowing, 
however,  what  he  did  with  said  income.  I  called 
his  attention  on  one  occasion  to  the  amounts  I 
had  paid  him  during  a  year,  and  suggested  that  it 
was  a  little  dangerous  keeping  so  much  money  in 
the  house. 

"I  knew  he  did  not  spend  it  on  himself,  and 
therefore,  assumed  he  had  it  laid  away.  The  only 
answer  I  ever  got  was,  'Judge,  if  any  one  ever 
breaks  into  my  house  hunting  for  money,  they'll 
need  a  search  warrant.'  Knowing  as  I  did  that 
our  minister  was  assisting  people  during  the  past 
few  years  in  a  much  larger  degree  than  he  had 
previously  been  able  to  do,  I  began  to  suspect  the 
source  of  his  supply  of  money;  but  as  Mr.  Gott 
had  not  seen  fit  to  inform  me,  I  respected  his 
wishes  enough  not  to  attempt  to  ascertain  what 
he  did  with  his  money,  and  consequently  have 

357 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

never  known  definitely  until  today  what  became 
of  his  income,  although  having  read  his  will  at 
the  time  he  made  it  I  naturally  knew  what  dispo 
sition  he  made  of  his  property  after  his  decease. 
I  will  now  read  the  will : 

"  'This  is  the  last  will  and  also  the  first  one  of 
Stillman  Gott,  of  the  town  of  Bartlett,  Norfolk 
County,  State  of  Maine,  U.  S.  A.  First :  I  want 
all  my  debts  paid  that  I  haven't  had  time  to  pay 
myself. 

"  'Second :  I  want  to  be  laid  beside  my  mother 
and  father  in  the  old  graveyard,  and  a  gravestone 
put  up  to  me.  The  inscription  on  the  stone  to  be 

as  follows :  "Stillman  Gott,  aged ,"  and  then 

put  on  the  years  and  months.  Then  below  as  fol 
lows:  "He  did  the  best  he  could." 

"  'Third :  The  Lord,  for  some  reason  I  never 
could  understand,  never  brought  things  around  so 
that  I  ever  was  able  to  get  a  wife  or  have  any 
children,  although  no  man  ever  lived  that  would 
like  to  have  had  them  more  than  I  would.  I  never 
had  a  brother  and  only  one  sister,  and  so  when  I 
go  there  won't  be  any  of  my  family  left  except 
some  relatives  that  are  so  far  off  that  I  never  kept 
track  of  them.  So  I  have  been  obliged  to  look 

358 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

around  for  some  way  to  dispose  of  my  property 
and  have  decided  as  follows : 

"  'I  want  all  the  property  in  the  way  of  my  lit 
tle  farm  and  the  stock  on  it  sold,  and  the  money 
put  out  at  interest  in  some  safe  way,  and  then  I 
want  all  of  this  and  all  my  other  property  now 
in  the  hands  of  Squire  Eaton  turned  over  to  the 
selectmen  of  the  town  of  Bartlett  at  the  time  of 
my  death,  to  be  held  and  taken  care  of  by  them 
as  long  as  they  hold  office,  and  then  by  whoever 
come  after  them  as  selectmen,  and  so  on  forever 
as  trustees.  They  are  to  invest  it  in  a  prudent 
way,  looking  out  for  safe  investments  and  dodging 
all  gold  mine  schemes  and  wildcat  stuff,  and  al 
ways  bearing  in  mind  that  the  principal  is  worth 
more  than  the  interest. 

"  'The  income  I  want  used  in  this  way :  Any 
child  living  in  Bartlett  that  is  needy,  I  don't  care 
whether  black  or  white  or  what  ticket  their  father 
votes,  is  to  be  taken  care  of  and  kept  fed  and 
clothed,  and  given  just  as  good  an  education  as 
would  be  fitting,  always  bearing  in  mind  that  no 
body  ever  knew  too  much,  and  at  the  same  time 
that  the  kind  of  seed  you  are  going  to  sow  depends 
a  good  deal  on  the  nature  of  the  soil.  I  leave  this 

359 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

matter  to  the  horse  sense  of  the  selectmen.  If 
that  does  not  use  the  whole  income  up,  the  bal 
ance  is  to  be  used  helping  any  man  or  woman  that 
needs  help,  looking  after  the  women  first  and  the 
men  next  and  being  very  careful  not  to  encourage 
laziness. 

"  'Don't  help  any  until  they  have  done  all  they 
could  themselves.  If  it  should  happen  in  any 
year  that  the  whole  income  should  not  be  used  as 
I  have  planned,  then  the  selectmen  can  use  any 
balance  of  income  to  help  any  poor  or  needy  peo 
ple  in  any  of  the  surrounding  towns.' " 

For  a  few  moments  after  the  voice  of  the  lawyer 
ceased  a  solemn  silence  filled  the  church,  and  then 
the  final  prayer  was  said  by  the  aged  clergyman, 
and  slowly  and  reverently  the  congregation  moved 
out  of  the  church  to  the  little  graveyard  adjoining. 

There  by  the  side  of  his  parents  and  sister,  on 
the  side  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  bay  and  Sheep 
island,  they  laid  all  that  was  mortal  of  Stillman 
Gott  to  await  the  sounding  of  the  last  trump. 

And  then  Edward  and  Elinor  Locke  planted  at 
the  head  of  the  grave  a  small  moss  rose  bush. 
Still  had  often  remarked  to  Edward  when  speak 
ing  of  flowers  that  he  particularly  admired  the 

360 


STILLMAN     GOTT 

moss  rose.  It  was  a  flower  that  had  always  grown 
in  his  mother's  garden  during  her  lifetime,  and 
he  looked  upon  it  as  the  typical  flower  of  that  sec 
tion  of  the  country  in  which  he  had  always  lived, 
for  he  said  the  moss  on  the  rose  always  reminded 
him  of  the  gray  ledges  and  the  trunks  of  the 
spruce  and  pine  trees  to  which  the  moss  clung. 

There  let  him  lie,  with  the  grass  and  flowers  of 
summer  growing  over  his  grave  and  the  weeping 
rains  and  sheltering  snows  of  winter  falling  upon 
it,  until  the  great  day  when  all  the  world  shall 
come  before  the  Almighty  to  be  judged  according 
to  their  respective  deeds  upon  earth. 

Let  his  plea  to  the  great  question  be  the  epitaph 
on  his  gravestone,  chosen  by  himself, 

"  HE  DID  THE  BEST  HE  COULD." 


